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THE  BELT  OF 
SEVEN  TOTEMS 

ASfORT  OFMASS4SOI? 

BY  KIRK  MUNioE 


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THE    BRAHMINS'    TREASURE 

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Page  193 


'HE  BELT  of 
SE^EN  TOTEMS 

A  STORT  OF  MASSASOIT 

By 
KIRK  MUNROE 

Author  of"  Under  the  Great  Bear,"  "Brethren  of  the 

Coast"  "  Rick  Dale,"  "  Forward  March ," 

"  The  'Mates'  '  Series  "  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED   BY 

EMLEN  McCONNEEE 


Philadelphia 

.    B.   LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 
1902 


COPYRIGHT,  1901 

BY 

KIRK  MUNROE 


5TROTYPED  AND  PRINTED  BY  J.  B.  L.PPINCOTT  COMPANY ,  PH.LADELPH.A,  U.t.A 

EDUC.- 

PSYCH. 
LIBRARY 


GIFT 


' 


TO    MY    READERS 


THE  following  story  is  not  intended  as  a  his 
tory  ;  it  is  merely  an  effort  to  reconcile  certain 
apparently  conflicting  facts  and  to  explain  an 
otherwise  inexplicable  situation.  At  the  time 
of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  all  American  Indians — not 
excepting  those  of  New  England — had  suffered 
repeated  outrage  at  the  hands  of  white  men,  and 
in  no  case  had  they  been  given  cause  to  love 
the  invaders  of  their  country  or  to  welcome 
their  presence.  Why,  then,  did  the  powerful 
Massasoit  permit  a  white  invasion  of  his  territory 
that  he  could  so  easily  have  crushed  ?  A  friend 
ship  existed  from  the  very  first  between  him  and 
Edward  Winslow,  and  the  latter  seems  to  have 
exercised  a  great  influence  over  the  New  England 
sachem.  What  was  the  origin  of  this  friendship  ? 
The  Narragansetts,  while  submitting  to  Massa 
soit' s  authority,  were  always  in  sullen  opposition 
to  it.  Why  ?  It  is  to  answer  these  questions  to 

5 

069 


6  TO    MY    READERS 

my  own  satisfaction  that  I  have  constructed  the 
theory  herewith  advanced. 

Many  New  England  natives  were  kidnapped 
and  taken  to  various  parts  of  Europe.  Why 
might  not  Massasoit  have  been  among  them  ? 
The  wampum  belt,  on  which  was  pictured  the 
distinguishing  totems  of  seven  leading  New  Eng 
land  clans,  was  worn  by  both  Massasoit  and  Meta- 
comet  (King  Philip),  his  son,  and  is  still  in  exist 
ence.  Tasquanto  (Squanto)  was  kidnapped  from 
Cape  Cod  and  taken  to  England,  where  he  re 
mained  for  several  years.  Captain  Dermer  car 
ried  a  number  of  native  Americans  to  London, 
where  he  sold  them  to  be  exhibited  as  curiosities. 
He  finally  died  of  wounds  received  at  the  hands 
of  New  England  Indians.  Champlain  did  aid  a 
war-party  of  Hurons  to  defeat  the  Iroquois  in 
one  instance,  and  in  another  was  defeated  by  the 
same  foe.  Thus,  while  my  story  is  admittedly 
fictional,  it  has  a  substantial  historical  basis. 

KIRK  MUNROE. 

BISCAYNE  BAY.  FLORIDA,  1901. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTKR  PAGE 

I.  THE  VILLAGE  OF  PEACE 9 

II.  CANONICUS  MAKES  TROUBLE  ...........  18 

III.  AT  THE  CROSSING  OF  THE  SHATEMUC  ......  28 

IV.  THE  BELT  CHANGES  HANDS 38 

V.  WHAT  THE  DAUGHTERS  OF  KAWERAS  FOUND     .   .  50 

VI.  IN  THE  LODGE  OF  THE  ARROW-MAKER 60 

VII.  NAHMA  JOINS  A  WAR-PARTY 70 

VIII.  Two  YOUNG  SCOUTS Si 

IX.  ON  THE  LAKE 91 

X.  AN  OKI  OF  THE  WATERS 101 

XI.  THE  COMING  OF  SACANDAGA in 

XII.  A  MEETING  OF  DEADLY  FOES 121 

XIII.  To  THE  LODGES  OF  THE  WHITE  MAN 131 

XIV.  Two  INMATES  OF  A  GUARD-HOUSE 141 

XV.  THE  BITTER  WINTER  OF  CANADA 151 

XVI.  A  DASH  FOR  LIBERTY 162 

XVII.  A  DEATH-DEALING  THUNDER-STICK 172 

XVIII.  KIDNAPPED 183 

XIX.  SOLD  AS  A  SLAVE 194 

XX.  ONE  FRIENDLY  FACE 206 

XXI.  A  CHANGE  OF  MASTERS 217 

XXII.  NAHMA  AND  THE  BEAR  RUN  AWAY      228 

XXIII.  AN  HONORED  GUEST 238 

XXIV.  NAHMA  REMEMBERS 248 

XXV.  BACK  TO  AMERICA 259 

XXVI.  SASSACUS  THE  PEQUOT 270 

XXVII.  A  ROYAL  HOME-COMING 281 

XXVIII.  IN  THE  COUNCIL-LODGE  292 

XXIX.  WINNING  A  BATTLE,  A  WIFE,  AND  A  FRIEND    .   .  303 

XXX.  THE  PILGRIMS  OF  PLYMOUTH 314 

7 


PAGE 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

¥ 

HE   WAS   SEIZED    BY    TWO   PAIR    OF    BRAWNY    HANDS    AND    DRAGGED 

Frontispiece. 
INBOARD       

AS   SHE   CAUGHT    A    GLIMPSE    OF   THE    WOUNDED   YOUTH    THE   PRO 
GRESS    OF   THE   CANOE   WAS    INSTANTLY    ARRESTED 5^ 

NAHMA  SPRANG  UPON  THE  WHITE  MAN  WITH  UPLIFTED  KNIFE    .    129 

-LOOK,  THEN,  AND  TREMBLE,  THOU  DOG  OF  A  MURDERER"  .     29O 


THE 

BELT  OF  SEFEN  TOTEMS 
* 

CHAPTER    I 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    PEACE 

IN  the  olden  days  when  the  whole  land  belonged 
to  the  red  man  the  village  of  Longfeather  the 
Peacemaker  was  located  on  the  river  of  Sweet 
Waters,  nearly  one  hundred  miles,  as  the  crow 
flies,  from  the  place  where  it  flows  into  the  sea. 
Its  ruler  was  Longfeather,  the  only  son  of  Nas- 
satip,  sachem  of  the  Wampanoags,  and  a  man 
wise  enough  to  realize  that  peace  was  better  for 
his  people  than  war.  So  he  had  sent  his  only 
son,  when  still  a  mere  youth,  to  one  after  another 
of  the  surrounding  tribes  that  he  might  learn 
their  language  and  establish  friendships  among 
them.  Thus  Longfeather  had  lived  for  months 
at  a  time  among  all  the  tribes  dwelling  east  of 

9 


io  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

the  Shatemuc  and  the  country  of  the  terrible 
Iroquois.  He  had  travelled  as  far  north  as  the 
land  of  the  Abenakis,  from  whom  he  learned  to 
make  snow-shoes  and  to  construct  canoes  of 
birchen  bark.  He  had  visited  the  Nipmucks  and 
Nausets  of  the  eastern  coast,  who  taught  him 
many  secrets  of  the  salt  waters  from  which  they 
gained  their  living.  He  had  journeyed  to  the 
southward,  spending  a  year  with  the  Narragan- 
setts  and  another  with  the  Pequots,  the  wampum- 
making  tribes.  Then  for  a  long  time  he  had 
remained  with  the  warlike  Mohicans,  whose  great 
chieftain  Tamenand  loved  him  as  a  son,  and 
taught  him  from  his  own  wisdom  until  Long- 
feather  became  wisest  of  all  Indians  dwelling  in 
the  region  afterwards  known  as  New  England. 

So  many  seasons  of  corn-planting  and  harvest 
did  the  youth  spend  in  travel  and  study  among 
the  tribes,  that  when  he  finally  turned  his  face 
towards  his  own  people  he  was  become  a  man  in 
years  as  well  as  in  stature  and  strength.  So  it 
happened  that  he  tarried  again  among  the  Pe 
quots  until  he  had  won  for  a  bride  Miantomet, 
a  daughter  of  their  sachem.  The  principal  in- 


THE   VILLAGE   OF    PEACE  n 

dustry  of  this  tribe  being  the  production  of  wam 
pum,  which  was  made  in  the  form  of  cylindrical 
beads,  white,  black,  purple,  and  sometimes  red, 
cut  from  sea-shells,  Longfeather's  bride  was 
presented  with  a  vast  store  of  this  precious 
material  in  the  form  of  strings  and  belts,  so  that 
in  winning  her  the  young  man  also  acquired 
much  wealth. 

To  fittingly  celebrate  the  home-coming  of  his 
son,  Nassaup  commanded  a  great  feast  that 
should  last  for  seven  days,  and  to  it  were  invited 
the  headmen  of  all  the  tribes  in  which  Long- 
feather  had  made  friends.  The  place  chosen 
for  this  notable  gathering  was  the  mouth  of  a 
beautiful  valley,  centrally  located  for  the  con 
venience  of  the  several  tribes,  and  gently  sloping 
to  the  river  of  Sweet  Waters.  Here,  then,  in 
early  autumn,  at  the  full  of  the  harvest  rnoon, 
were  gathered  hundreds  of  the  leading  sannups 
of  the  wide- spread  territory  bounded  by  the 
great  white  river  (St.  Lawrence)  on  the  north, 
the  salt  waters  that  bathe  the  rising  sun  on  the 
east  and  south,  and  the  Shatemuc  (Hudson)  on 
the  west.  These,  together  with  their  families, 


12  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

formed  an  assemblage  larger  and  more  important 
than  any  that  could  be  recalled  even  by  tradition, 
and  while  much  of  their  time  was  devoted  to 
feasting  and  dancing,  they  also  discussed  ques 
tions  of  great  significance. 

One  of  these  was  the  meaning  of  a  vast 
ball  of  fire,  that,  brighter  than  the  sun  and  glow 
ing  with  many  colors,  had  shot  athwart  an  evening 
sky  on  the  night  of  Longfeather's  marriage  to 
Miantomet.  To  some  this  phenomenon  por 
tended  evil,  while  to  others  it  was  an  omen  of 
good  promise ;  but  all  were  convinced  that  it 
was  connected  in  some  way  with  the  fortunes  of 
Longfeather. 

Another  matter  discussed  early  and  late  with 
unflagging  interest  was  the  rumored  appearance 
in  remote  regions  of  a  race  of  beings  having 
human  form,  but  unlike  any  heretofore  known. 
They  were  said  to  have  white  skins  and  hairy 
faces,  and  were  believed  to  control  thunder  and 
lightning,  which  they  used  for  the  destruction  of 
all  who  came  in  their  way.  Some  of  them  were 
also  described  as  bestriding  fire-breathing  mon 
sters  of  such  ferocity  that  they  carried  death  and 


THE    VILLAGE    OF    PEACE  13 

destruction  wherever  they  went.  Most  of  these 
rumors  came  from  the  south  and  from  lands  so 
remote  that  they  had  been  many  months  travel 
ling  from  tribe  to  tribe  and  from  mouth  to  mouth. 
Whether  the  beings  thus  imperfectly  described 
were  gods  or  devils  none  could  tell.  At  the 
same  time  those  who  heard  of  them  agreed  that 
in  spite  of  their  form  they  could  not  be  human, 
for  were  not  all  men  made  in  one  likeness,  with 
red  skins,  black  hair,  and  smooth  faces  ? 

It  was  disquieting  that,  while  most  of  these 
rumors  came  from  the  far-distant  south,  some  of 
them  also  came  from  the  north,  and  located  the 
white-skinned  strangers  not  more  than  a  month's 
journey  away.  At  the  same  time  it  was  comfort 
ing  to  have  all  stories  agree  that,  while  they 
appeared  from  the  ocean  borne  on  the  backs  of 
vast  winged  monsters  of  the  deep,  they  always, 
after  a  while,  disappeared  again  as  they  had  come. 

Longfeather  further  reassured  those  who  dis 
cussed  these  matters  by  relating  a  tradition  that 
he  had  received  from  Tamenand.  It  concerned 
other  supernatural  visitants  who  had  once  come 
even  to  the  land  of  the  Wampanoags  ;  but  so  long 


i4  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

ago  that  not  even  the  great-grandfather  of  the  old 
est  man  living  had  seen  them.  They  also  were 
described  as  of  white  skin  and  having  hair  on 
their  faces.  It  was  not  told  that  they  rode  fire- 
breathing  dragons,  or  that  they  were  armed  with 
thunderbolts,  but  they  had  come  from  the  sea 
and  returned  into  it  again  when  they  were  ready 
for  departure.  To  be  sure,  they  had  slain  many 
of  the  native  dwellers  and  caused  great  fear 
throughout  the  land,  but  after  going  away  they 
had  never  again  been  seen.  To  this  day,  how 
ever,  traces  of  their  visitation  remained  in  the 
form  of  certain  pictured  rocks  that  they  had 
inscribed,  and  which  no  man  might  remove  or 
even  touch,  under  penalty  of  death. 

The  simple-minded  forest-dwellers  listened  to 
these  tales  with  the  same  dread  that  would  inspire 
us  of  to-day  upon  hearing  that  inhabitants  of  some 
distant  planet,  bringing  death-dealing  weapons 
that  were  unknown  to  us,  had  invaded  the  world. 
They  shuddered,  gazing  furtively  about  them  as 
they  listened,  and  drew  closer  together  as  though 
for  mutual  protection.  Although  the  fears  thus 
aroused  sobered  the  red-skinned  assemblage 


THE    VILLAGE    OF    PEACE  15 

and  left  it  in  small  humor  for  further  festivities, 
this  was  not  regretted  by  Nassaup,  since  it  ren 
dered  them  the  more  willing  to  listen  to  a  plan 
that  he  wished  to  propose.  It  was  one  so  long 
considered  that  it  had  become  the  chief  desire  of 
his  life,  and  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a 
federation  of  all  the  tribes  there  represented, 
in  the  interests  of  peace,  mutual  aid,  and  protec 
tion.  For  two  days  was  this  proposition  dis 
cussed,  and  then  it  was  accepted.  A  belt  of 
wampum,  on  which  was  worked  his  own  totem, 
was  given  to  each  of  the  seven  head  chiefs 
present,  and  a  great  belt  of  the  same  material,  in 
which  the  seven  totems  were  combined,  was  pre 
sented  to  Longfeather.  On  account  of  his  wis 
dom  he  had  been  unanimously  chosen  to  rule  the 
allied  tribes,  and  this  Belt  of  Seven  Totems  was 
the  badge  of  his  authority.  So  Longfeather  be 
came  Peacemaker  and  Lawgiver  to  all  that  re 
gion,  and  on  account  of  its  central  location  he  es 
tablished  his  official  head-quarters  upon  the  very 
spot  where  the  great  assemblage  had  been  held. 
Thus  was  founded  the  village  of  Peace,  in  which 
all  questions  affecting  relations  between  the  tribes 


1 6  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

were  discussed  and  treaties  were  made.  It  was 
a  place  of  refuge  to  which  all  persons  accused  of 
wrong-doing  and  in  danger  of  their  lives  might 
flee,  with  a  certainty  of  protection  until  their 
cases  could  be  considered  by  the  Peacemaker. 
It  also  became  a  trading-point  to  which  were 
attracted  the  skilled  makers  of  such  articles  as 
were  most  in  demand  among  the  tribes. 

Large  areas  of  nearby  lands  were  brought 
under  cultivation,  and  these,  fertilized  with  fish 
taken  in  quantities  from  the  teeming  river,  pro 
duced  wonderful  crops  of  beans,  maize,  and 
pumpkins.  No  war-parties  ever  visited  the  vil 
lage  of  Peace,  but  there  was  a  constant  coming 
and  going  of  strangers.  To  it  travelled  the 
Abenakis,  bringing  furs,  maple-sugar,  and  highly 
prized  ornaments  of  copper  that  had  come  to 
them  from  the  far  west.  Here  they  exchanged 
these  things  for  bales  of  dried  fish  from  the 
eastern  coast,  seal-skins,  or  belts  of  wampum. 
Here,  also,  they  found  expert  makers  of  flint 
arrow-heads,  knives,  and  hatchets,  weavers  of 
mats,  and  workers  in  clay,  from  whom  they  might 
procure  rude  vessels  of  earthen-ware. 


THE   VILLAGE    OF    PEACE  17 

Above  all,  here  dwelt  Longfeather,  to  whom 
could  be  submitted  all  disputed  questions,  with  a 
certainty  that  he  would  settle  them  wisely  and 
justly.  Thus  it  happened  that  the  village  of 
Peace  became  the  political  capital  and  chief  trad 
ing-point  of  all  New  England  long  before  ever  a 
white  man  had  set  foot  in  that  region.  Here,  too, 
some  twenty  years  after  its  founding,  was  born 
Nahma,  the  son  of  Longfeather,  a  lad  whose 
strange  adventures  in  after-life  are  now  for  the 
first  time  about  to  be  related. 


CHAPTER    II 

CANONICUS    MAKES    TROUBLE 

THE  boy  thus  introduced  was  carefully  trained 
for  the  high  position  that  he  must  some  time  fill. 
Although  from  his  father  he  never  heard  an  im 
patient  or  an  unkind  word,  he  was  taught  to 
respect  his  elders  and  to  yield  the  most  implicit 
obedience  to  those  in  authority  over  him.  As 
soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  comprehend  what 
he  heard  and  saw  he  was  permitted  to  sit  beside 
the  Peacemaker  and  listen  to  the  discussion  of 
matters  affecting  the  well-being  of  the  tribes. 
From  Longfeather  himself,  from  the  old  men  of 
the  village,  and  from  the  visitors  who  journeyed 
to  it  Nahma  learned  the  traditions  of  his  people. 
His  father  also  taught  him  to  distinguish  the 
totems  of  tribes  or  clans,  together  with  their 
significance,  and  illustrated  his  lessons  by  means 
of  the  pictured  belts  that  hung  in  the  council- 
house.  From  these  same  teachers  Nahma  also 
learned  to  believe  in  witchcraft  and  magic,  by 

18 


CANONICUS    MAKES    TROUBLE  19 

which  alone  were  they  able  to  account  for 
many  natural  phenomena.  Thus  even  in  the 
years  of  his  youth  there  came  to  Nahma  a  wis 
dom  beyond  that  of  all  other  lads,  and  his  name 
became  known  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the 
other. 

Nor  during  this  time  of  mental  training  was 
that  of  his  body  neglected.  Every  day,  even  in 
the  depth  of  winter,  when  ice  must  be  broken 
before  water  could  be  reached,  he  was  made  to 
plunge  into  the  river  or  the  sea  to  toughen  him 
and  harden  his  flesh.  He  was  taught  to  swim  and 
to  paddle  a  canoe  before  he  could  walk  ;  and  often 
in  later  years  when  trained  runners  were  sent  by 
Longfeather  with  messages  to  distant  tribes,  the 
lad  was  allowed  to  accompany  them,  that  he 
might  learn  the  trails,  familiarize  himself  with 
remote  localities  and  people,  and  acquire  the  art 
of  traversing  great  spaces  in  the  shortest  possible 
time.  So  fleet  of  foot  and  so  strong  of  wind 
did  he  thus  become  that  he  at  one  time  covered 
the  distance  between  the  village  of  Peace  and 
the  sand-dunes  of  the  Nausets  on  the  edge  of 
the  great  salt  water  between  two  suns,  a  feat 


20  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

never  before  accomplished,  and  at  which  all  men 
marvelled. 

After  this  Nahma  was  frequently  chosen  to  be 
his  father's  messenger  on  occasions  of  importance, 
and  very  proud  was  the  young  warrior  of  the 
trust  thus  reposed  in  him.  Thus  it  happened 
that  one  day  in  the  lad's  eighteenth  year,  when 
a  matter  of  grave  import  demanded  prompt 
communication  with  a  distant  point  in  a  region 
of  danger,  Longfeather  naturally  turned  to 
Nahma,  his  son. 

Troublous  times  had  come,  and  the  safety  of 
the  region  so  long  ruled  by  the  Peacemaker  was 
seriously  threatened.  To  consider  the  situation 
Longfeather  had  assembled  a  council  of  the  tribes 
at  Montaup,  on  the  edge  of  the  salt  water.  This 
was  the  great  gathering-place  of  the  Wampa- 
noags,  and  to  it  their  chieftain  with  his  family  was 
accustomed  to  resort  during"  the  heated  months 

o 

of  each  summer.  So  here  the  council  was  met, 
and  after  the  calumet  had  passed  entirely  around 
its  seated  circle  Longfeather  addressed  the  chiefs 
as  follows  : 

"  It  is  well  that  we  are  come  together,  for  the 


CANONICUS   MAKES   TROUBLE  21 

shadow  of  trouble  is  upon  us  like  that  of  a  black 
cloud  hiding  the  sun.  While  we  be  of  many 
tribes  we  have  until  now  been  of  one  heart,  and 
even  from  the  days  of  Nassaup,  my  father,  have 
we  dwelt  at  peace  one  with  another.  Now, 
however,  is  that  peace  threatened,  and  I  have 
summoned  you  to  see  what  may  be  done." 

Here  the  speaker  took  one  from  a  bundle  of 
small  sticks  and  handed  it  to  the  oldest  chief, 
saying,  ''Take  this  peace-stick,  my  brother,  and 
remember  its  meaning-. "  Then  to  the  others  he 

o 

continued, — 

"  For  a  long  time,  from  our  fathers,  and  from 
their  fathers  before  them,  have  we  heard  tales 
of  strange,  white-skinned  beings  armed  with 
thunderbolts,  who  have  come  from  the  sea.  We 
have  listened  with  trembling,  but  have  comforted 
ourselves  that  these  strangers,  whom  we  took 
to  be  gods,  appeared  not  on  our  shores,  but 
at  places  far  removed.  Also  we  heard  that 
they  tarried  not ;  but  always,  after  a  short  stay, 
departed  as  they  had  come.  Take  this  stick, 
my  brother,  and  regard  it  with  respect,  for  it 
indicates  the  belief  of  our  fathers." 


22  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

Thus  saying,  Longfeather  handed  a  second  stick 
from  his  bundle  to  the  aged  chief.  Then  resum 
ing  his  address,  he  said, — 

"  But  all  our  comfort  has  vanished  with  the 
gaining  of  wisdom.  Nearer  and  more  frequent 
have  come  tales  of  the  whiteskins,  until  now 
we  know  them  to  be  men  like  unto  ourselves, 
only  of  a  different  color  and  having  hairy  faces. 
They  are  armed  with  thunder- sticks  that  can  kill 
at  three  times  the  flight  of  our  strongest  arrows. 
Also  have  we  learned  that  these  men  are  borne 
to  our  coast  in  mighty  canoes  built  by  themselves 
and  driven  by  the  wind.  We  know  that  many 
of  these  canoes  come  for  fish  to  the  salt  waters 
of  the  Tarratines.  Not  only  do  they  thus  come 
and  go  in  ever-increasing  numbers,  but  they  even 
visit  the  land  to  care  for  the  fish  they  have  taken. 
Accept  this  stick,  my  brother,  to  remind  thee  of 
the  white-skinned  men  who  fish."  With  this 
Longfeather  handed  a  third  stick  to  the  old  man. 

"Still,"  he  continued,  "the  white  fish-catchers 
do  not  attempt  to  remain  with  us,  nor  have  they 
thus  far  given  us  cause  to  fear  them.  Some  of 
their  lesser  canoes,  small  when  compared  with 


CANONICUS    MAKES   TROUBLE  23 

those  in  which  they  come  and  go,  but  large  by 
the  side  of  ours,  even  as  the  eagle  is  larger  than 
the  hawk,  have  drifted  empty  to  our  shores,  and 
our  young  men  have  made  use  of  them.  Also 
at  times  the  great  winged  canoes  of  the  white 
men  have  been  seen  to  pass  our  coast,  but  never 
until  the  season  of  last  corn-planting  have  they 
tarried.  Then  came  one  to  the  country  of  the 
Narragansetts,  where  it  remained  for  the  space 
of  three  moons.  This  stick,  my  brother,  will 
refresh  thy  memory  concerning  the  coming  and 
tarrying  of  the  great  white  canoe."  With  this 
the  speaker  passed  a  fourth  stick  to  the  old  chief. 
Then  deliberately  and  with  emphasis  he  resumed 
his  speech,  saying, — 

"  On  an  island  that  they  occupied  the  strangers 
who  came  in  this  canoe  erected  a  lodge.  Many 
of  you  have  seen  it  and  them.  They  roamed 
through  the  forest  making  thunder  and  killing 
beasts  with  their  fire-sticks.  Above  all,  they 
traded  with  the  Narragansetts,  giving  them 
knives  and  hatchets  made  of  an  unknown  metal, 
strong  and  sharp,  kettles  that  fire  may  not  harm, 
and  many  other  things  in  exchange  for  skins  of 


24  THE    BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

the  beaver.  Only  with  their  thunder-sticks  they 
would  not  part.  By  many  it  was  feared  that 
they  would  remain  and  attempt  to  possess  the 
land  that  is  our  land.  But  after  a  time  they  de 
parted,  and  the  heart  of  Longfeather  was  glad 
when  he  knew  they  were  gone.  At  the  same 
moment  his  heart  was  again  made  heavy,  for  they 
gave  out  that  they  would  come  again,  bringing 
great  wealth  to  exchange  for  beaver.  Take  this 
stick,  my  brother,  to  remind  thee  that  the  white 
men  will  come  again. 

"  Now,  my  friends,  what  has  happened?  It  is 
this.  The  Narragansetts  are  puffed  up  with  pride 
because  they  are  possessed  of  knives  and  hatchets 
better  and  more  deadly  than  any  ever  before  seen 
in  all  the  world.  Also,  they  desire  to  obtain  more 
of  such  things  and  to  learn  the  secret  of  the 
thunder-sticks  that  kill  as  far  as  one  may  see. 
Therefore  did  Canonicus,  head  sachem  of  the 
Narragansetts,  propose  secretly  to  me  that  when 
the  great  canoe  came  again  I  should  order  the 
white  men  to  be  killed,  that  he  and  I  might 
possess  ourselves  of  their  wealth,  and  so  be 
come  as  gods,  all-powerful  in  the  land.  This 


CANONICUS   MAKES   TROUBLE  25 

stick,  my  brother,  marks  the  proposition  of 
Canonicus. 

"To  the  evil  words  of  the  Narragansett  I 
refused  to  listen,  saying  to  him  that  to  do  what 
he  had  in  his  mind  would  surely  bring  upon  our 
heads  the  wrath  of  the  Great  Spirit.  Further 
more,  I  bade  Canonicus  put  such  evil  thoughts 
far  behind  him  and  consider  them  no  more. 
This  stick,  my  brother,  is  Longfeather's  answer 
to  Canonicus. 

"  Again,  my  friends,  what  has  happened  ?  The 
Narragansett  promised  to  open  wide  his  ears  that 
the  words  of  Longfeather  might  sink  into  his  heart. 
Did  he  do  this  ?  No.  He  closed  tight  his  ears 
that  they  might  not  hear,  and  began  to  look  for 
others  who  would  aid  him  in  his  wickedness.  So 
far  did  his  eyes  travel  that  they  came  even  to  the 
land  of  the  Maquas  [Mohawks],  who  from  the 
days  of  the  first  men  have  been  our  enemies. 
To  them  is  he  preparing  to  send  messengers  with 
presents  and  a  promise  of  great  wealth,  together 
with  power  over  all  the  tribes,  if  they  will  join 
him  in  destroying  the  next  white  men  who  may 
come.  Canonicus  was  bidden  to  this  council,  but 


26  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

I  cannot  see  him.     This  stick,   my  brother,  will 
tell  thee  of  his  black  heart.     I  have  finished." 

So  long  did  the  council  discuss  this  situation 
and  so  many  were  the  speeches  to  be  delivered 
on  the  subject,  that  a  decision  was  not  reached 
until  late  on  the  second  day  of  meeting.  Then 
it  was  ordered  that  Canonicus  should  be  sum 
moned  to  report  in  person  to  the  assembled 
chiefs,  who  for  two  days  longer  would  await  his 
coming.  If  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  had  not 
appeared,  a  war-party  of  the  allied  tribes  should 
be  sent  to  fetch  him.  In  the  mean  time  Long- 
feather  would  send  a  delegation  to  the  Maquas 
bearing  presents,  and  offering,  on  behalf  of  the 
combined  New  England  tribes,  a  treaty  that 
should  secure  to  all  equal  benefits  from  whatever 
trade  might  be  had  with  the  white-skinned 
strangers.  It  was  furthermore  agreed  that  so 
long  as  the  white  men  proved  themselves  friendly 
they  should  be  treated  as  friends.  "  For,"  said  the 
Peacemaker,  "  they  are  few  and  we  are  many,  they 
are  weak  while  we  are  strong,  therefore  let  us  live 
at  peace  with  them,  if  indeed  they  come  to  us 
again,  a  thing  that  I  trust  may  not  happen.  So 


CANONICUS    MAKES   TROUBLE  27 

shall  we  please  the  Great  Spirit  who  made  them, 
doubtless  for  some  good  reason,  even  as  he  made 
the  red  man  and  gave  him  control  over  the  earth." 
So  it  was  done  even  as  the  council  had  ordered, 
and  a  runner  was  despatched  to  Canonicus  with  a 
summons  for  him  to  appear  at  Montaup,  and  for 
bidding  him  to  treat  with  the  Maquas.  Also 
active  preparations  were  made  for  sending  an 
embassy  to  that  powerful  people  on  behalf  of 
the  allied  New  England  tribes,  and  to  his  joy 
Nahma  was  chosen  to  accompany  it  as  his 
father's  representative. 


CHAPTER    III 

AT    THE    CROSSING    OF    THE    SHATEMUC 

THE  whole  land  to  the  very  edge  of  the  great 
salt  water,  and  including  the  islands  of  the  sea, 
was  covered  with  a  forest  that  sheltered  it  alike 
from  summer  heats  and  the  deadly  cold  of  win 
ter.  Stately  pines  growing  on  hill-sides  lifted 
their  evergreen  heads  far  above  all  other  trees, 
and  stood  as  ever-watchful  sentinels.  Mighty 
oaks  shaded  wide-spread  areas,  while  graceful 
elms  were  mirrored  in  lake  and  river.  Every 
where  the  painted  maples  flaunted  their  brilliant 
colors,  while  chestnut,  beech,  hickory,  and  walnut 
showered  down  bountiful  stores  of  food  to  those 
trusting  in  them  for  •  a  winter's  supply.  Man, 
beast,  and  bird,  all  children  of  the  forest,  dwelt 
within  its  safe  protection  and  were  fed  from  its 
exhaustless  abundance.  Its  rivers  and  smaller 
streams,  filled  from  brimming  reservoirs  and 
unobstructed  by  dams,  afforded  highways  of 

travel  ever  ready  for  use  and  always  in  the  best 

28 


AT   THE   CROSSING    OF   THE    SHATEMUC     29 

of  repair.  Besides  these,  the  forest  was  threaded 
with  trails  worn  by  countless  generations  of 
Indian  runners,  traders,  hunters,  and  fighters, 
and  these  were  as  familiar  to  the  dwellers  in  the 
shade  as  are  the  streets  of  a  city  to  one  born 
within  its  walls. 

Along  one  of  these  devious  trails,  narrow  and 
so  dim  that  an  unpractised  eye  would  quickly  have 
lost  it,  sped  a  solitary  runner.  He  was  young 
and  goodly  to  look  upon,  while  his  movements 
were  as  graceful  as  those  of  the  deer,  whose 
soft-tanned  skins  constituted  his  attire.  He 
was  bareheaded,  and  in  his  hair  was  fastened 
a  single  feather  from  the  wing  of  an  osprey 
or  fishing  eagle. 

A  noticeable  feature  of  his  costume  was  a 
broad  belt  of  wampum,  worn  diagonally  across 
his  breast  so  that  it  might  readily  be  seen  and 
recognized.  On  it  at  short  intervals  were  worked 
seven  figures  representing  birds,  beasts,  and  fishes, 
for  it  was  the  Belt  of  Seven  Totems,  indicating 
the  authority  of  Longfeather  the  Peacemaker,  and 
the  young  runner  now  wearing  it  so  conspicuously 
was  none  other  than  Nahma,  his  only  son. 


30  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

While  Longfeather  awaited  the  return  of  his 
messenger  to  Canonicus  and  made  ready  the 
presents  intended  for  Sacandaga,  chief  sachem 
of  the  Maquas,  news  came  that  the  Narragansett 
embassy  to  that  same  powerful  chieftain  had  al 
ready  set  forth  on  its  mission.  Thus  there  was 
no  time  to  be  lost  if  his  own  message  was  to 
reach  Sacandaga  first,  an  event  that  he  deemed 
to  be  of  the  utmost  importance.  The  chiefs 
whom  he  desired  to  send  as  ambassadors  could 
not  travel  at  greater  speed  than  could  the  Narra- 
gansetts,  who  had  a  two  days'  start,  but  it  was 
possible  that  a  fleet-footed  runner  might  even  yet 
overtake  and  pass  them.  As  this  thought  flashed 
through  Longfeather 's  mind  he  knew  that  if  the 
thing  might  be  done  it  could  only  be  accom 
plished  by  the  swiftest  of  all  his  runners,  and  he 
promptly  caused  Nahma  to  be  summoned. 

At  that  moment  the  young  warrior  was  listen 
ing  with  eager  interest  to  the  stories  of  white  men 
and  their  great  winged  canoes,  told  by  Samoset, 
an  Abenaki  youth  of  his  own  age,  who  had 
accompanied  his  chieftain  to  the  council  at 
Montaup. 


AT   THE    CROSSING    OF   THE    SHATEMUC     31 

"What  do  they  call  their  tribe?"  inquired 
Nahma,  "and  of  what  nature  is  their  speech? 
Doth  it  resemble  ours  so  that  one  may  compre 
hend  their  words  ?" 

"They  appear  to  be  of  many  tribes,"  replied 
Samoset,  "  though  we  call  them  all  '  Yengeese.' 
Also  they  speak  with  many  tongues,  strange  and 
unpleasant  to  the  ear." 

"What  are  they  like,  these  tongues?  Hast 
thou  not  caught  some  word  that  we  may  hear?" 

"Often  they  say  '  Hillo'  and  'Sacre,'"  replied 
Samoset,  "but  what  these  mean  I  know  not. 
Also,  once,  where  from  hiding  I  watched  them 
cooking  fish  on  a  beach,  a  pebble  rolled  from  me 
to  them.  As  they  sprang  up  in  alarm  I  slipped 
away,  fearing  lest  they  might  take  offence.  As 
I  did  so  one  of  them  cried  out  very  loud,  *  Mass 
i-sawit !' '  (By  the  mass  I  saw  it.) 

"Massasoit,"  repeated  Nahma,  thoughtfully. 
"  It  hath  a  familiar  sound,  and  might  be  a  word 
of  the  Wampanoags,  except  that  it  is  without 
meaning.  I  long  greatly  to  see  these  white- 
skinned  fish-catchers  and  their  big  canoes  that 
resemble  floating  hill-tops  with  trees  growing  in 


32  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

them.  So  if  it  may  be  arranged  I  will  return 
with  thee,  Samoset,  to  look  upon  these  wonders. 
But  you  have  said  naught  of  the  thunder-sticks 
about  which  we  hear  so  much.  What  of  them  ? 
Are  they  indeed  as  terrible  as  represented?" 

Ere  Samoset  could  answer,  Nahma  received 
word  that  Longfeather  desired  his  presence,  and, 
promising  shortly  to  rejoin  his  companions,  he 
left  them.  Ten  minutes  later,  without  their 
knowledge  or  that  of  any  person  in  all  Montaup, 
save  only  his  parents,  the  young  runner  had  left 
his  father's  lodge  bound  on  a  solitary  mission, 
longer,  more  important,  and  more  dangerous 
than  any  he  had  heretofore  undertaken.  He 
was  to  make  his  way  with  all  speed  and  in 
utmost  secrecy  to  Sacandaga,  head  sachem  of 
the  Maquas,  and  urge  him,  in  the  name  of  Long- 
feather,  not  to  treat  with  the  Narragansetts  or 
any  other  single  tribe  before  the  arrival  of  the 
Peacemaker's  own  embassy. 

Longfeather  had  given  his  instructions  hastily 
and  in  a  few  words.  He  had  invested  the  lad 
with  his  own  superb  belt  as  a  badge  of  authority, 
and  had  dismissed  him  with  the  peremptory  orders 


AT   THE    CROSSING    OF   THE    SHATEMUC     33 

of  a  sachem,  delivered  in  the  loving  tone  of  a 
father  who  sends  his  only  son  into  danger. 

Besides  the  Belt  of  Seven  Totems,  Nahma 
carried  only  a  bow  and  arrows  slung  to  his  back, 
a  wallet  of  parched  corn  bruised  in  a  mortar 
until  it  formed  a  coarse  meal,  a  small  fire-bag  of 
flints  and  tinder,  and  a  copper  knife,  the  precious 
gift  of  his  father.  Having  taken  but  five  minutes 
for  preparation,  he  tenderly  embraced  his  mother 
and  bade  her  farewell.  Filled  with  a  presenti 
ment  of  coming  evil,  Miantomet  clung  to  him  as 
though  she  could  not  let  him  go  ;  but,  comforting 
her  with  loving  words,  the  lad  gently  disengaged 
her  arms  from  about  his  neck  and  sprang  away. 
In  another  minute  he  had  plunged  into  the  forest 
and  was  lost  to  sight  amid  its  blackness. 

For  some  hours  the  way  was  partially  revealed 
by  the  light  of  a  young  moon,  and  by  the  time 
of  its  setting  Nahma  had  placed  a  score  of  miles 
between  him  and  Montaup.  Then,  as  he  could 
no  longer  make  speed  through  the  darkness,  he 
flung  himself  down  at  the  foot  of  a  great  oak  and 
was  almost  instantly  fast  asleep. 

By  earliest  dawn  he  was  again  on  the  trail,  and 

3 


34 


THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 


all  that  day  he  sped  forward  with  hardly  a  pause. 
Occasionally  he  passed  a  group  of  bark  huts 
nestled  beside  some  smooth-flowing  stream  and 
surrounded  by  rudely  tilled  fields  ;  but  at  none 
of  these  did  he  halt,  save  only  now  and  then  for 
a  few  mouthfuls  of  food.  The  belt  that  he  wore 
insured  him  everywhere  a  glad  welcome  and 
instant  service.  He  forded  or  swam  the  smaller 
streams  ;  while  at  points  where  his  trail  crossed 
rivers  he  always  found  canoes  that  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  appropriate  to  his  own  use  if  their 
owners  were  not  at  hand.  He  was  on  the  king's 
business  and  nothing  might  delay  it. 

Thus  Nahma  sped  so  swiftly  on  his  errand 
that  an  hour  before  sunset  of  the  second  day 
found  him,  very  weary  but  exultant,  on  the  east 
ern  bank  of  the  Shatemuc  and  at  the  border  of 
the  country  claimed  by  the  Iroquois,  of  whom 
the  Maquas  were  the  easternmost  tribe.  He  was 
farther  from  home  than  he  had  ever  been  before 
and  in  a  region  of  which  he  had  no  knowledge. 
At  the  same  time  he  knew  that  the  Maquas,  being 
now  at  peace  with  the  New  England  tribes,  were 
accustomed  to  send  hunting-parties  east  of  their 


AT   THE    CROSSING    OF   THE    SHATEMUC     35 

great  river,  and  so  he  had  hoped  to  find  one  or 
more  canoes  at  the  crossing.  In  this,  however, 
he  was  disappointed,  for,  search  as  he  might,  he 
could  discover  none  of  the  desired  craft,  though 
he  found  a  place  where  several  had  but  recently 
been  concealed. 

As  there  were  no  other  traces  of  human 
presence  in  that  vicinity,  Nahma  concluded  that 
the  canoes  had  been  taken  by  persons  coming 
from  across  the  river.  He  did  not  suspect  that 
it  might  have  been  done  by  the  Narragansetts 
whom  he  was  striving  to  outstrip  ;  for  thus  far 
he  had  discovered,  no  sign  of  them,  and  had 
reached  a  conclusion  that  they  must  have  taken 
some  other  trail.  At  any  rate,  there  was  no 
canoe  to  be  had,  and,  as  he  was  determined  to 
cross  the  river  before  dark,  he  must  swim  it. 
This  he  did,  keeping  dry  his  scanty  clothing  and 
few  belongings  by  floating  them  on  a  small  raft 
of  bark  that  he  pushed  before  him.  Arrived  on 
the  farther  side  our  young  runner  made  a  startling 
discovery.  Not  only  were  a  number  of  canoes 
drawn  out  on  the  bank  and  concealed  beneath 
overhanging  bushes,  but  on  the  soft  ground 


36  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

beside  them  he  found  the  unmistakable  imprint 
of  Narragansett  moccasins.  Also,  a  short  dis 
tance  back  from  the  river,  he  came  upon  the  still 
smouldering  remains  of  a  small  fire.  At  length, 
then,  he  was  close  upon  the  heels  of  his  rivals, 
and  he  must  at  all  hazards  pass  them  that  night 
in  order  to  gain  a  first  hearing  from  Sacandaga. 
At  the  same  time  he  was  in  immediate  need  of 
food  and  rest,  for  he  was  faint  with  hunger  and 
exhausted  by  his  recent  exertions.  There  was 
no  sign  of  danger,  his  rivals  had  gone  on,  and 
the  fire  they  had  so  kindly  provided  invited  him 
to  cook  food  that  was  to  be  had  for  the  taking. 

So  abounding  with  fish  were  all  the  streams  of 
that  land  that  no  one  possessed  of  even  ordinary 
skill  at  catching  them  need  go  hungry.  Nahma 
was  well  aware  of  this,  and,  taking  a  pinch  of 
his  parched  corn,  he  stepped  back  to  the  river's 
bank  and  cast  it  upon  the  water.  In  another 
moment  he  had  transfixed  with  an  unerring  arrow 
one  of  the  half-dozen  large  fish  that  rushed 
greedily  to  the  surface,  and  his  supper  was 
provided.  Having  cooked  it  and  satisfied  his 
ravenous  hunger,  the  lad  withdrew  to  a  thicket 


AT   THE   CROSSING    OF   THE   SHATEMUC     37 

well  beyond  the  circle  of  firelight  and  flung  him 
self  down  for  an  hour  of  sleep  before  continuing 
his  journey. 

The  young  runner  was  lost  to  consciousness 
within  a  minute  after  closing  his  eyes  ;  but  not 
until  his  heavy  breathing  gave  notice  of  the  fact 
did  a  painted  savage,  who  for  more  than  an  hour 
had  watched  his  every  movement,  drop  to  the 
ground  from  among  the  branches  of  a  thick- 
leaved  oak.  There  he  had  crouched  as  motion 
less  as  a  panther  awaiting  its  prey  ;  and  now, 
after  stretching  his  cramped  limbs,  he  stole  with 
catlike  tread  towards  the  sleeping  youth. 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE    BELT    CHANGES    HANDS 

IN  all  the  history  of  the  world  it  has  happened 
that  dwellers  by  the  sea  have  been  more  ad 
vanced  and  prosperous  than  their  inland  neigh 
bors.  Thus,  in  the  present  instance,  the  Wam- 
panoags  and  the  Narragansetts  were  the  most 
numerous  and  powerful  of  the  New  England 
tribes.  There  had  always  been  jealousies  and 
often  open  warfare  between  them,  nor  had  these 
wholly  ceased  to  exist  upon  the  election  of 
Longfeather  to  the  high  office  of  Peacemaker. 
Canonicus,  head  sachem  of  the  Narragansetts, 
felt  that  he  was  equally  entitled  to  be  thus 
honored,  and  consequently  was  bitterly  jealous 
of  his  successful  rival.  This  feeling  was  shared 
by  his  nephew  and  adopted  son,  Miantinomo, 
only  that  the  envy  and  hatred  of  the  latter  were 
directed  against  Nahma,  whose  place  as  future 
ruler  of  the  allied  tribes  he  was  determined  to 
38 


THE    BELT    CHANGES    HANDS  39 

occupy,  if  by  any  means  such  a  thing  might  be 
accomplished. 

Thus,  when  Canonicus  planned  to  secure  a 
power  greater  than  that  of  Longfeather  by 
forming  an  alliance  with  the  eastern  Iroquois,  he 
found  in  Miantinomo  an  eager  assistant.  So,  even 
as  the  Peacemaker  had  chosen  his  own  son  to 
represent  him  in  the  mission  to  Sacandaga,  Canoni 
cus  selected  Miantinomo  for  a  similar  position 
in  the  Narragansett  embassy.  In  this  way,  with 
out  either  being  aware  of  the  fact,  the  two  young 
rivals  became  actively  pitted  'against  each  other 
in  the  most  important  undertaking  of  their  lives. 

While  urged  to  make  all  possible  haste,  the 
Narragansett  party  was  obliged  to  adapt  its 
pace  to  that  of  the  oldest  chief  among  them  ; 
and  while  they  expected  that  Longfeather  would 
also  send  messengers  to  the  Maquas,  they  fancied 
these  would  be  equally  restricted  as  to  speed. 
They  knew  that  they  had  a  start  of  at  least  two 
days,  and  believed  they  could  reach  Sacandaga's 
village,  transact  their  business,  and  depart  for 
home  before  the  coming  of  their  rivals.  At  the 
same  time  they  neglected  no  precaution  to  insure 


40  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

the  success  of  their  undertaking.  They  struck 
the  Shatemuc  at  a  point  much  lower  than  that 
reached  by  Nahma,  and  from  it  ascended  the 
river  in  canoes.  As  they  advanced  they  kept 
sharp  watch  of  the  eastern  shore,  and  removed 
all  craft  found  on  it  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river.  Their  last  exploit  of  this  kind  was  at  a 
place  where  they  must  again  take  to  the  land  and 
follow  a  trail  to  the  Maqua  villages. 

Having  thus  provided  for  a  further  delay  of 
the  other  party,  they  felt  no  apprehension  of  being 
overtaken,  and  proceeded  leisurely  on  their  jour 
ney.  They  did,  however,  take  the  added  pre 
caution  of  leaving  a  scout  behind  them  to  watch 
the  crossing  until  sunset.  For  this  purpose  they 
selected  Miantinomo,  as  being  the  keenest-eyed 
and  swiftest- footed  of  their  party.  So  Nahma' s 
most  active  rival  and  secret  enemy  was  left  to 
cover  the  rear,  while  his  elders  disappeared  in 
single  file  up  the  narrow  trail. 

According  to  Indian  custom  Miantinomo  had 
brought  pigments  with  him,  and  now  he  relieved 
the  tedium  of  his  watch,  which  he  did  not  believe 
would  amount  to  anything,  by  painting  his  body 


THE   BELT    CHANGES    HANDS  41 

in  anticipation  of  a  speedy  arrival  at  the  Maqua 
villages.  So  interested  was  he  in  this  occupation 
that  for  a  time  he  forgot  everything  else  ;  then, 
startled  by  a  splash  in  the  river,  he  glanced  up. 
A  swimmer,  just  emerged  from  deep  water,  was 
wading  ashore  pushing  before  him  a  small  raft, 
and  Miantinomo  instantly  recognized  him.  Be 
ing  hidden  behind  a  screen  of  bushes,  and  satis 
fied  that  Nahma  was  still  ignorant  of  his  presence, 
the  young  Narragansett,  crouching  low,  made  his 
way  to  a  thick-leaved  oak  that  overhung  the  trail 
a  short  distance  back  from  the  river,  and  was 
snugly  hidden  among  its  branches  by  the  time 
Nahma  gained  the  land. 

Miantinomo  was  not  wholly  surprised  to  dis 
cover  the  son  of  Longfeather  at  this  place  ;  but 
he  could  not  understand  why  he  should  be  alone. 
It  must  be  that  he  had  come  to  obtain  canoes  in 
which  to  bring  over  the  others  of  his  party. 
Thus  thinking,  he  expected  to  see  Nahma  at  once 
recross  the  river.  In  that  case  he  would  hasten 
after  his  own  companions  and  urge  them  to  travel 
all  night,  that  they  might  still  reach  the  Maqua 
villages  in  advance  of  their  rivals. 


42  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

But  the  new-comer  failed  to  do  as  expected, 
and  Miantinomo  was  more  puzzled  than  ever  at 
witnessing  his  preparations  to  secure  a  meal  and 
spend  some  time  where  he  was.  He  evidently 
was  alone,  and  after  the  spy  became  convinced 
of  this,  he  wondered  if  by  some  means  he  might 
not  prevent  Longfeather's  messenger  from  con 
tinuing  his  journey.  He  was  also  filled  with  a 
great  longing  to  possess  himself  of  the  Belt  of 
Seven  Totems,  which  he  recognized  as  Nahma 
again  assumed  it.  Well  did  the  young  Narra- 
gansett  realize  the  power  conferred  upon  the 
wearer  of  that  belt.  If  it  should  be  opposed  to 
him  in  the  presence  of  Sacandaga,  then  would 
his  mission  prove  a  failure  and  his  uncle's 
cherished  plan  would  come  to  naught.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  the  all-powerful  belt  could  be  made 
to  appear  in  his  behalf,  if  he  only  might  possess 
it  even  for  a  short  time,  how  easy  would  become 
his  task  ! 

From  the  moment  these  thoughts  entered  his 
mind  Miantinomo  was  determined  to  acquire  the 
coveted  object  by  any  means  that  should  offer. 
He  knew  that  Nahma  would  never  relinquish  the 


THE    BELT    CHANGES    HANDS  43 

belt  of  his  own  free  will,  and  that  it  must  be 
taken  from  him  by  either  stealth  or  force.  He 
knew  also  that  should  he  succeed  in  his  wicked 
design  he  would  incur  the  vengeance  of  Long- 
feather,  and  doubtless  bring  on  a  war  in  which 
all  the  New  England  tribes  would  be  involved. 
But  what  of  that  ?  Would  not  the  powerful 
Iroquois  fight  on  the  side  of  the  Narragansetts  ; 
and,  armed  with  the  white  man's  weapons,  might 
they  not  successfully  defy  the  world  ? 

Filled  with  these  ambitious  thoughts,  Mian- 
tinomo  flattened  himself  closer  against  the  great 
oak  limb  and,  regardless  of  the  discomfort  of  his 
position,  watched  with  glittering  eyes  every  move 
ment  of  his  rival.  More  than  anything  else 
he  resembled  a  venomous  serpent  awaiting  an 
opportunity  to  spring  upon  an  unsuspecting 
victim.  At  his  back  was  a  bow  and  a  quiver 
of  flint-headed  arrows,  with  one  of  which  he  might 
easily  have  stricken  Nahma  to  the  earth  at  any 
moment,  but  he  was  not  yet  prepared  to  shed 
innocent  blood  for  the  accomplishment  of  his 
purpose.  Besides,  he  dared  not  make  a  move 
ment  that  might  attract  the  other's  attention. 


44  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

So  he  waited  with  all  the  patience  of  his  race 
and  an  ever-strengthening  resolve  to  obtain  pos 
session  of  the  Peacemaker's  belt. 

In  the  mean  time  Nahma,  utterly  unconscious 
of  the  dangerous  presence  so  close  at  hand, 
procured,  cooked,  and  ate  his  supper,  selected 
what  he  believed  to  be  a  safe  resting-place,  and 
laid  himself  down  for  a  nap.  The  moment  for 
which  Miantinomo  had  waited  was  at  hand,  and 
with  noiseless  movement  he  slipped  to  the  ground. 
For  a  few  seconds  he  stood  motionless  behind 
the  tree,  to  assure  himself  that  his  rival  had  not 
been  aroused  ;  then  with  catlike  tread  he  stole 
towards  the  unsuspecting  sleeper. 

At  length  he  stood  beside  Nahma  and  bent 
over  him  with  the  coveted  belt  easily  within 
his  reach.  Bits  of  moonlight  sifting  through 
leafy  branches  fell  upon  it  and  upon  the  upturned 
face  of  the  sleeper.  So  profound  was  his 
slumber  that  Miantinomo  believed  he  might  re 
move  the  belt  without  disturbing  him,  and  laying 
his  stone-headed  war-club  within  easy  reach,  he 
began  with  the  utmost  caution  to  make  the.  at 
tempt.  It  had  very  nearly  succeeded,  and  the 


THE   BELT    CHANGES    HANDS  45 

belt,  partially  loosened,  was  within  his  grasp, 
when,  without  warning,  Nahma  opened  his  eyes. 
Miantinomo  leaped  back  at  the  first  sign  of 
waking,  and  as  his  victim  attempted  to  gain  his 
feet  a  crushing  blow  stretched  him  again  on  the 
ground  motionless  and  to  all  appearance  dead. 

For  a  moment  the  young  Narragansett  stood 
ready  to  repeat  his  cowardly  assault ;  but,  seeing 
that  a  second  blow  was  unnecessary,  he  again 
bent  over  the  body  of  his  rival  and  snatched  from 
it  the  belt  for  which  he  had  been  willing  to  risk 
so  much.  With  his  prize  thus  secured,  he  was 
about  to  hasten  from  the  spot  when  another 
thought  caused  him  to  pause.  It  would  never  do 
to  leave  the  evidence  of  his  crime  where  it  was 
so  certain  to  be  discovered.  He  had  not  meant 
to  kill  Nahma,  and  now  that  the  awful  deed  was 
committed,  he  trembled  at  thought  of  its  possible 
consequences.  Even  his  own  people  would  re 
gard  him  with  abhorrence  if  they  knew  of  it, 
while  the  vengeance  of  Longfeather  would  be 
swift  and  terrible.  Therefore  what  he  had  done 
must  never  be  known  even  by  his  nearest  friends, 
and  before  leaving  that  spot  he  must  remove  all 


46  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

traces  of  his  murderous  deed.  Stripping  off  his 
scanty  raiment  that  it  might  not  become  blood 
stained,  he  lifted  the  limp  form  of  the  stricken 
youth,  and  carrying  it  some  distance  down  the 
stream,  flung  it  into  the  river.  He  heard  the 
heavy  splash  of  the  body  as  it  struck  the  water, 
but  was  too  nervous  to  make  further  inquiry  as  to 
its  condition.  Thus  whether  it  sank  or  floated  he 
did  not  know,  nor  did  he  seek  to  discover,  but 
fled  from  the  spot  as  though  pursued. 

Reaching  the  place  where  he  had  left  his  gar 
ments  and  the  belt,  he  hastily  resumed  the  former, 
and  concealed  the  latter  beneath  them.  Then  he 
set  forth  at  top  speed  to  rejoin  his  companions 
and  report  that  he  had  seen  nothing  alarming 
during  his  watch  by  the  river-side. 

On  the  following  day  the  Narragansett  em 
bassy  reached  the  Maqua  villages,  where,  in  spite 
of  their  alluring  proposition  and  valuable  presents, 
they  were  at  first  received  with  coldness  and  sus 
picion.  At  the  council  assembled  to  hear  their 
talk  Sacandaga  flatly  refused  to  make  an  alliance 
with  any  one  of  the  New  England  tribes,  and  the 
Narragansetts  retired  from  it  believing  that  the 


THE   BELT    CHANGES    HANDS  47 

cherished  plan  of  Canonicus  must  come  to 
naught. 

That  night,  however,  Miantinomo  sought  a 
private  interview  with  the  Maqua  sachem,  and 
displayed  to  him  the  Belt  of  Seven  Totems, 
which  Sacandaga  at  once  recognized,  since  its 
fame  had  spread  far  and  wide.  "It  is  the  belt 
of  Longfeather,"  he  said,  after  a  close  inspection. 

"Yes,"  replied  Miantinomo,  "it  is  the  belt  of 
the  great  Peacemaker,  who  is  also  my  father." 

"How  can  that  be?"  asked  the  other.  "May 
a  man  have  two  fathers  ?" 

"  By  adoption,  yes,"  answered  the  young  Narra- 
gansett.  "  Having  no  son  of  his  own,  Longfeather 
has  adopted  the  nephew  of  his  friend  Canonicus, 
that  in  time  their  tribes  may  be  united  under  one 
chief.  To  the  Narragansetts  I  am  known  as 
Miantinomo,  but  by  all  others  am  I  called  Nahma, 
son  of  Longfeather." 

"  I  have  heard  the  name  and  it  is  described  as 
being  that  of  a  most  promising  warrior,"  said 
Sacandaga,  regarding  the  young  man  with  re 
newed  interest. 

"One   blessed  with   two   such    fathers   should 


48  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

indeed  prove  himself  worthy,"  was  the  modest 
reply.  "In  proof  that  I  am  regarded  as  a  son 
by  Longfeather,"  he  continued,  "the  Peacemaker 
has  intrusted  me  with  this  token  of  authority. 
Never  before  has  he  parted  with  it,  and  to  none, 
save  only  the  mighty  chief  of  the  Maquas,  whose 
friendship  he  greatly  desires,  would  he  send  it. 
Also  he  has  done  this  thing  in  secret,  so  that 
even  those  who  come  with  me  know  not  that  I 
am  intrusted  with  so  great  authority." 

So  impressed  was  Sacandaga  by  this  flattering 
statement  and  by  sight  of  the  belt  offered 
in  evidence  of  its  sincerity,  that  he  not  only 
listened  attentively  to  the  young  man's  proposals, 
but  finally  agreed  to  accept  them. 

"With  Canonicus  alone  I  could  not  have 
treated,"  he  said,  "for  he  is  but  one  of  many; 
but  with  Longfeather,  who  represents  the  many,  I 
may  enter  into  a  compact." 

"The  words  of  Sacandaga  are  good,"  replied 
Miantinomo,  gravely,  "and  will  be  as  the  singing 
of  birds  in  the  ears  of  Longfeather.  At  the  same 
time  I  trust  it  will  not  be  forgotten  that  they  may 
not  be  sent  directly  to  him.  For  the  present 


THE   BELT    CHANGES    HANDS  49 

he  would  not  have  it  known  that  he  desires  the 
wealth  of  the  white-skinned  strangers.  If  they 
think  him  a  friend  they  will  the  more  readily 
fall  into  the  snare  he  will  set  for  them.  There 
fore,  my  father,  let  the  public  treaty  be  made 
only  between  Sacandaga  and  Canonicus,  for 
Longfeather  will  be  well  pleased  to  have  it  so 
proclaimed." 

"I  understand  and  will  not  forget,"  replied  the 
Maqua  chief. 

Thus  through  treachery  and  deceit  did  the 
wily  young  Narragansett  gain  his  point  and 
accomplish  the  mission  with  which  he  had  been 
intrusted  by  Canonicus. 


CHAPTER    V 

WHAT   THE    DAUGHTERS    OF    KAWERAS    FOUND 

SACANDAGA  secretly  gave  to  Miantinomo  a  belt 
of  wampum  bearing  the  emblem  of  a  tortoise, 
his  own  totem,  to  be  transmitted  to  Longfeather, 
while  publicly  he  gave  another  to  the  Narragan- 
sett  chiefs  for  Canonicus.  After  the  formalities 
of  the  treaty  as  well  as  the  private  negotiations 
were  concluded,  Miantinomo  urged  the  imme 
diate  departure  of  his  companions  lest  they 
might  discover  his  evil  doings.  Then,  having 
got  them  well  started  on  their  homeward  journey, 
he  hastened  on  in  advance.  For  this  he  gave  an 
excuse  that  the  whites  who  were  to  be  plundered 
might  appear  at  any  time,  and  that  every  hour 
was  now  of  importance.  His  real  reason  was 
the  belief  that  Lonrfeather  must  also  have  sent  a 

o 

delegation  of  chiefs  to  confer  with  the  Maquas, 
and  a  determination  to  meet  them  and,  if  possi 
ble,  turn  them  back.  So,  while  his  companions 
took  a  trail  different  from  the  one  by  which  they 
50 


WHAT    KAWERAS'    DAUGHTERS    FOUND      51 

had  come,  Miantinomo  hastened  back  to  the  place 
where  he  had  encountered  Nahma,  and  found 
those  who  had  followed  the  son  of  Longfeather 
camped  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  await 
ing  the  coming  of  canoes  in  which  to  cross  over. 

For  some  time  after  his  appearance  among  them 
they  asked  no  questions,  but  waited  in  dignified 
silence  to  learn  of  his  errand  to  them.  Finally, 
the  young  man  said, — 

"  My  fathers,  you  are  following  Nahma,  the  son 
of  Longfeather,  on  a  mission  to  Sacandaga,  the 
Iroquois.  Is  it  not  so  ?" 

"It  is  as  my  young  brother  has  said,"  replied 
one  of  the  chiefs. 

"Then  you  may  be  spared  a  farther  journey," 
continued  Miantinomo,  "  for  Nahma,  by  virtue  of 
the  belt  he  wore,  the  great  Belt  of  Seven  Totems, 
readily  gained  the  ear  of  Sacandaga,  even  while  I 
and  those  with  me  were  vainly  striving  to  do  so. 
Thus  did  he  make  a  treaty  with  the  Iroquois  on 
behalf  of  Longfeather,  his  father,  and  for  fear 
that  you  might  claim  a  share  in  the  honor  he  has 
returned  to  Montaup  by  another  trail.  Even  now 
he  travels  with  those  of  my  people  who  kept  me 


52  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

company.  I  have  come  by  this  trail  that  I  may 
visit  the  village  of  Peace  before  returning  to  my 
father.  For  this  I  was  heavy-hearted  ;  but  now 
am  I  glad,  because  I  have  met  with  you,  and  may 
so  save  you  a  useless  journey." 

For  some  time  the  chiefs  discussed  this  report 
of  Miantinomo  ;  and  then,  because  they  did  not 
wholly  trust  him,  they  decided  to  retain  him 
as  a  hostage  while  one  of  their  number  visited 
the  Maqua  villages  for  confirmation  of  his 
words. 

During  the  absence  of  this  messenger  Mianti 
nomo  was  filled  with  apprehension,  though  he 
carefully  hid  his  feelings  and  affected  the  utmost 
unconcern.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  advise 
Longfeather's  commissioners  to  appropriate  to 
their  own  use  the  presents  they  were  bearing  to 
Sacandaga,  and  seek  their  respective  homes  with 
out  reporting  to  the  Peacemaker. 

"The  treaty  has  been  made,"  he  said.  "The 
sachem  of  the  Maquas  is  satisfied  and  expects 
nothing  further.  You  have  been  put  to  much 
trouble  and  will  have  no  share  in  the  honor. 
Longfeather  has  no  thought  that  the  presents  will 


WHAT    KAWERAS'    DAUGHTERS    FOUND      53 

be  returned  to  him.      Therefore  is  it  best  that 
you  who  have  earned  them  should  keep  them." 

To  such  arguments  the  chiefs  listened  not  un 
willingly  ;  and  when  their  messenger  returned 
with  a  report  that  Miantinomo  had  spoken  truly 
concerning  what  had  taken  place  in  the  Maqua 
village,  they  decided  to  accept  his  advice. 

"  Why  should  Longfeather  have  intrusted  the 
Belt  of  Seven  Totems  to  one  so  young  and 
inexperienced  as  Nahma  instead  of  to  us?"  they 
asked.  "  Also  why  did  he  not  tell  us  that  he  had 
done  so  ?  Truly  he  has  shamed  us,  and  if  we 
take  his  presents  to  wipe  out  our  shame,  then 
shall  we  do  that  which  is  right  and  good." 

Having  reached  this  conclusion,  each  took  a 
share  and  went  his  way  ;  while  Miantinomo,  re 
joicing  at  the  complete  success  of  his  evil  designs 
and  still  wearing  next  his  skin  the  Belt  of  Seven 
Totems  that  was  the  badge  of  highest  authority 
in  all  that  land,  returned  to  his  own  people.  There 
he  busied  himself  with  the  secret  spreading  of 
various  reports  concerning  the  young  rival  with 
whom  he  had  dealt  so  foully.  One  was  that 
Nahma  had  taken  a  Maqua  girl  to  wife  and 


54  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

would  thereafter  dwell  among  the  Iroquois. 
Another  was  to  the  effect  that  he  had  been 
murdered  by  his  companions  of  Longfeather's 
embassy  for  the  sake  of  the  belt  that  he  wore, 
as  well  as  for  the  presents  intrusted  to  them, 
which  they  had  taken  for  their  own  benefit. 

From  Sacandaga  himself  Longfeather  learned 
that  a  young  man  named  Nahma  and  wearing 
the  Belt  of  Seven  Totems  had  indeed  visited  the 
Maqua  villages,  from  which  he  had  departed  again 
in  company  with  the  Narragansett  chiefs.  Al 
though  the  latter  denied  this  and  declared  that 
they  had  not  seen  Nahma,  Miantinomo  main 
tained  that  he  had  met  him  in  Sacandaga' s  vil 
lage  and  spoken  with  him. 

By  these  and  other  conflicting  stones  was  the 
fate  of  Nahma  so  shrouded  in  mystery  that  it 
became  impossible  to  discover  what  had  really 
befallen  him,  and  finally  his  friends  mourned  for 
him  as  for  one  who  is  dead.  Even  while  they 
thus  mourned  it  became  rumored  that  either 
Canonicus  or  Miantinomo,  his  adopted  son,  would 
succeed  Longfeather  in  the  high  office  of  Peace 
maker  and  ruler  of  the  allied  New  England  tribes. 


WHAT    KAWERAS'    DAUGHTERS    FOUND       55 

In  the  mean  time,  while  all  these  events  were 
happening,  Nahma  knew  nothing  of  them  nor 
indeed  of  anything  else,  for  he  lay  tossing  with 
fever  in  the  lodge  of  Kaweras,  principal  arrow- 
maker  of  the  Maquas.  When,  apparently  dead, 
he  had  been  flung  into  the  river  to  disappear  for 
ever  from  human  eyes,  he  had  fallen  among  a 
bed  of  reeds  in  a  place  where  the  water  was  too 
shallow  to  drown  him.  There  he  lay  motionless 
through  the  long  night  hours,  half  in  the  water 
and  half  out  of  it,  while  the  tall  reeds  whispered 
and  rustled  above  his  head.  Soft-flitting  night- 
birds  gazed  at  him  with  wondering  eyes,  while 
timid  animals  coming  to  the  river  to  drink 
sniffed  the  air  tainted  by  his  presence  and  fled 
in  terror. 

Towards  morning  a  glimmer  of  returning  life 
entered  the  numbed  brain,  and  in  striving  to 
obey  its  commands  the  poor  bruised  body  began 
to  make  feeble  movements.  By  sunrise  Nahma 
was  sitting  up  and  gazing  stupidly  at  the  green 
wall  by  which  he  was  surrounded.  Also  he 
muttered  over  and  over,  with  tedious  repetition, 
three  meaningless  words:  "  Hillo,  Sacre,"  and 


56  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

"Massasoit."  Other  than  this  he  gave  no  sign 
of  restored  consciousness.  He  did  not  take 
heed  even  when  a  sound  of  merry  voices  came 
to  the  place  where  he  sat,  nor  was  his  attention 
attracted  by  a  loud  swish  and  rustle  of  the  reeds 
that  came  ever  nearer  until  it  was  close  at  hand. 
Then  there  was  a  momentary  silence,  broken 
only  by  the  monotonous  repetition  of  "  Hillo, 
Sacre,  Massasoit." 

A  stifled  exclamation  and  excited  whispers 
announced  that  these  words  had  at  length  reached 
human  ears,  but  there  was  an  evident  hesitation 
while  fear  struggled  with  curiosity.  After  a 
minute  the  reeds  in  front  of  Nahma  were  noise 
lessly  parted,  and  the  bow  of  a  canoe  stole  into 
sight  inch  by  inch  with  almost  imperceptible 
motion.  From  it  peered  the  face  of  a  young 
girl,  bright  and  fascinating,  but  big-eyed  with 
apprehension  as  that  of  a  startled  fawn.  As 
she  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  wounded  youth  the 
progress  of  the  canoe  was  instantly  arrested, 
while  the  girl  became  rigidly  motionless.  Her 
eyes,  however,  took  in  every  detail  of  his  ap 
pearance  and  of  his  melancholy  situation.  He 


AS   SHE   CAUGHT    A    GLIMPSE   OF   THE    WOUNDED    YOUTH    THE    PROGRESS 
OF   THE   CANOE   WAS   INSTANTLY    ARRESTED 


WHAT   KAWERAS'    DAUGHTERS    FOUND       57 

still  appeared  to  see  nothing  and  still  repeated 
the  words  that  had  attracted  attention,  "  Hillo, 
Sacre,  Massasoit." 

4 'What  is  it,  sister?  What  do  you  see?" 
came  in  a  frightened  whisper  from  an  unseen 
speaker  who  occupied  the  farther  end  of  the 
canoe;  but  the  other,  still  gazing  motionless, 
made  no  reply.  "Aeana,"  insisted  the  invisible 
one  in  a  louder  tone,  "tell  me  quickly  what  you 
see.  I  am  frightened." 

"I  see  nothing  to  be  afraid  of,  Otshata,"  re 
plied  the  girl  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe.  "  It  is  a 
young  man,  but  he  is  evidently  sorely  wounded 
and  regards  not  our  presence.  There,  you  may 
see  for  yourself."  With  this  the  girl  called 
Aeana  pulled  the  canoe  into  such  a  position  that 
the  other  could  catch  a  glimpse  of  Nahma. 

"It  is  certain  that  he  is  handsome,"  whispered 
Otshata  ;  "  but  is  not  his  condition  dreadful  ?  Let 
us  hasten  and  report  it  to  our  father." 

"  No,"  answered  Aeana,  decisively.  "  That  is," 
she  added,  "we  will  return  to  our  father,  and 
that  quickly,  but  we  must  either  take  this  young 
man  with  us  or  leave  him  to  perish.  See  you 


58  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

not  that  the  river  is  flowing  backward  and  that 
its  waters  are  rising  ?  If  we  leave  him  he  must 

o 

die,  since  he  is  in  no  condition  to  care  for  him 
self.  How  we  may  get  him  into  the  canoe  I 
know  not,  but  if  that  can  be  done  we  will  carry 
him  to  Kaweras,  our  father." 

The  elder  though  more  timid  sister  attempted 
a  further  expostulation,  but  without  heeding  her 
Aeana  brought  the  canoe  close  to  where  the 
wounded  youth  still  sat,  indifferent  alike  to  his 
fate  and  his  surroundings,  idly  repeating  the 
strange  words  that  had  fixed  themselves  in  his 
bewildered  brain.  Aeana  spoke  to  him,  but  he 
failed  to  comprehend  what  she  said.  She  laid 
a  gentle  hand  on  his  arm  and  endeavored  to 
persuade  him  into  the  canoe,  but  he  sat  passively 
motionless. 

Finally  in  despair  the  girl  uttered  one  of  the 
strange  words  that  he  so  constantly  repeated. 
"  Massasoit,"  she  said,  and  the  youth  looked 
at  her,  seeming  for  the  first  time  to  recognize 
her  presence.  A  faint  smile  flickered  across 
his  blood-smeared  features,  and  he  made  a  move 
ment  towards  her.  In  another  moment,  aided 


WHAT   KAWERAS'    DAUGHTERS   FOUND      59 

by  her  supple  strength,  he  had  gained  the  interior 
of  the  canoe,  and  lay  weakly  with  closed  eyes 
while  the  two  girls  pulled  it  out  from  among 
the  reeds.  Then  seizing  their  paddles,  they  urged 
the  light  craft  swiftly  down  the  river  towards 
their  father's  lodge. 

Thus  did  the  daughters  of  Kaweras,  who  had 
been  sent  to  fetch  a  bundle  of  stout  reeds  that 
might  serve  as  shafts  for  bird  arrows,  return 
without  them,  but  bringing  a  wounded  and  un 
conscious  youth  in  their  place. 

Although  the  old  arrow-maker  saw  at  a  glance 
that  the  young  warrior  was  not  of  the  Maqua, 
nor  even  of  the  Iroquois  people,  his  ideas  of 
hospitality  did  not  permit  him  to  ask  questions 
nor  hesitate  a  moment  before  attending  to  the 
stranger's  needs.  It  required  the  united  strength 
of  father  and  daughters  to  transfer  Nahma  from 
canoe  to  lodge,  and  when  he  was  finally  laid  in 
the  latter  on  a  hastily  improvised  couch  of  boughs 
and  skins,  he  was  once  more  to  all  appearance 
dead. 


CHAPTER    VI 

IN    THE    LODGE    OF    THE    ARROW-MAKER 

THE  lodge  of  Kaweras,  occupied  only  by  him 
and  his  two  daughters,  stood  by  itself  in  a  grassy 
glade  shaded  by  elms  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  lordly  Shatemuc.  Close  at  hand  flowed  a 
spring  of  crystal  water,  while  at  no  great  dis 
tances  were  abundant  materials  for  the  prosecu 
tion  of  the  old  arrow-maker's  trade.  Nearby 
hills  furnished  him  with  flints  and  slate,  agate 
and  milk-white  quartz  ;  stout  reeds  and  tough, 
straight-grained  woods  were  to  be  had  for  the 
taking.  Deer  of  the  forest  yielded  him  their 
strong  back-sinews  for  binding  arrow-head  to 
shaft,  and  myriads  of  sea-fowl  flying  up  or  down 
the  broad  river  gave  him  of  their  feathers.  In 
his  younger  days  Kaweras  had  been  a  noted 
warrior.  Now  he  was  the  most  expert  arrow- 
maker  of  the  region  in  which  he  dwelt.  He  was 
also  a  mystic,  a  prophet,  and  one  well  versed  in 
60 


IN   THE    LODGE    OF    THE    ARROW-MAKER      61 

the  science  of  healing  by  means  of  herbs,  roots, 
bark,  and  leaves. 

In  his  double  capacity  of  arrow-maker  and 
medicine-man  Kaweras  was  much  sought  after, 
and  though  his  lodge  stood  remote  from  any 
village  of  his  people,  it  was  rarely  without  visitors. 
Young  warriors  came  for  arrows  and  to  catch 
glimpses  of  his  pretty  daughters ;  their  elders 
came  to  consult  with  him  concerning  grave  affairs  ; 
while  many  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes  came  for 
healing  or  to  profit  by  his  advice.  As  all 
brought  gifts,  Kaweras  was  well-to-do,  and  his 
larder  was  always  stocked  with  choicest  products 
of  forest  and  field  without  effort  on  his  own  part 
or  that  of  his  daughters. 

These  last  kept  tidy  the  spacious  lodge  with 
its  three  divisions,  of  which  only  the  outer  one 
was  for  the  general  public,  prepared  the  family 
meals,  and  did  much  sewing  with  needles  of  fish 
bone  threaded  with  fibre  or  sinew.  At  the  same 
time  they  found  abundant  leisure  for  paddling 
on  the  river  in  their  canoe  of  white  birch  brought 
from  the  far  north  and  for  attending  to  the 
needs  of  their  pets,  two  tame  fawns  and  a  large 


62  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

flock  of  wild  ducks  bred  in  captivity.  Also  they 
helped  their  father  in  the  making  of  arrows,  and 
especially  in  the  .gathering  of  material. 

With  this  busy  but  uneventful  life  the  elder 
sister  was  quite  content,  but  Aeana  always  longed 
for  excitement  and  adventure.  Now  she  had 
found  both  in  the  coming  to  their  quiet  lodge  of 
a  stranger,  young,  mysterious,  wounded  to  the 
point  of  death,  and  speaking  a  language  to 
which  even  the  wisdom  of  her  father  could  find 
no  clue.  Furthermore,  she  regarded  him  with 
a  proprietary  interest,  for  had  she  not  discovered 
him  and  rescued  him  from  almost  certain  de 
struction  ? 

During  the  long  illness  that  followed  his  com 
ing,  and  while  he  lay  oblivious  to  his  surroundings, 
she  often  gazed  curiously  upon  his  face,  listened 
to  the  three  strange  words  that  he  repeated  to 
the  exclusion  of  all  others,  and  speculated  con 
cerning  him.  She  became  impatient  for  him  to 
get  well  that  he  might  tell  her  who  he  was, 
where  he  came  from,  and  how  he  happened  to  be 
in  the  sad  plight  that  had  so  nearly  proved  fatal. 
She  would  have  talked  of  him  to  their  many 


IN   THE    LODGE    OF    THE    ARROW-MAKER      63 

visitors  but  for  her  father's  expressed  wish  that 
Nahma's  presence  in  their  lodge  should  be  kept 
a  secret  from  all  men.  Kaweras  hoped  thus  to 
learn  something  concerning  him  from  unguarded 
conversations,  but  in  this  he  was  disappointed. 
It  is  true  that  he  heard  of  the  mysterious  dis 
appearance  of  Nahma,  the  son  of  Longfeather, 
but  whenever  that  youth  was  mentioned  Mian- 
tinomo  was  described,  and  as  this  description 
did  not  coincide  in  any  particular  with  the  appear 
ance  of  his  patient,  he  had  no  reason  to  connect 
the  two. 

Otshata  was  quite  as  much  interested  in  the 
young  stranger  as  was  her  sister,  but  in  another 
way.  She  thought  him  very  handsome,  which 
Aeana  would  not  admit,  and  secretly  rejoiced 
in  the  helplessness  that  depended  so  largely 
upon  her  gentle  ministrations.  She  had  the 
motherly  instinct  that  found  pleasure  in  self- 
sacrifice,  and  from  the  first  constituted  herself 
chief  nurse  of  the  stricken  youth. 

For  a    long-    time    it  was   doubtful    if    Nahma 

o 

would  ever  recover  from  the  illness  by  which  he 
was  prostrated  ;  but  after  it  finally  took  a  turn 


64  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

for  the  better  he  began  rapidly  to  mend.  On 
the  day  that  he  first  ventured  outside  the  lodge 
into  the  freedom  of  open  air  there  was  much 
rejoicing  in  the  little  family,  but  it  was  tinged 
with  sadness.  Although  weak  and  emaciated 
from  his  long  sickness,  he  was  still  a  goodly 
youth  to  look  upon,  and  gave  promise  of 
speedily  regaining  his  physical  powers  ;  but  his 
mind  was  that  of  a  child.  He  could  neither 
tell  nor  remember  anything  of  his  former  life, 
even  its  language  was  lost  to  him,  and  he  could 
converse  only  in  such  words  of  the  Iroquois 
tongue  as  he  had  acquired  from  his  present 
associates.  As  he  could  not  tell  them  his  name, 
they  called  him  "  Massasoit,"  from  the  word  he 
had  most  frequently  uttered  during  his  delirium, 
and  this  he  accepted  as  readily  as  he  did  all  else 
that  they  offered  him. 

While  thus  compelled  to  relearn  everything 
that  required  mental  effort,  it  was  soon  dis 
covered  that  he  had  lost  none  of  his  cunning 
in  matters  calling  for  physical  strength  or  skill. 
He  could  still  shoot  an  arrow  or  hurl  a  spear 
with  unerring  aim,  was  rarely  at  fault  on  the 


IN    THE    LODGE    OF    THE    ARROW-MAKER      65 

dimmest  trail,  and  proved  himself  an  adept  in 
such  branches  of  Indian  handiwork  as  usually  fell 
to  the  share  of  warriors,  such  as  the  fashioning 
of  weapons  or  the  building  of  canoes.  He  soon 
regained  a  muscular  strength  even  greater  than 
that  with  which  he  had  been  endowed  before  his 
illness,  while  his  fleetness  of  foot  excited  the 
wonder  of  his  friends. 

With  all  this  Nahma  was  gentle  and  submis 
sive  to  authority,  a  trait  that  aroused  the  utmost 
scorn  in  the  mind  of  Aeana.  From  the  time  his 
mental  weakness  was  discovered  this  high-spirited 
girl  treated  him  as  she  would  a  child,  bidding  him 
come  or  go,  fetch  or  carry,  according  as  she  felt 
inclined,  and  apparently  she  despised  him  for  his 
ready  obedience  to  her  orders.  He,  on  the  other 
hand,  regarded  her  with  an  intense  admiration 
and  sought  in  every  way  to  win  her  favor.  All 
his  trophies  of  the  chase  were  laid  at  her  feet 
only  to  be  contemptuously  rejected  or  flung  to 
Otshata.  In  the  latter,  however,  the  young  man 
found  a  friend  to  whom  his  misfortune  appealed 
so  keenly  that  she  treated  him  with  unwearied 
kindness  and  tenderest  consideration.  He  called 

5 


66  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

her  "  sister,"  a  term  that  he  dared  not  apply  to 
Aeana,  and  poured  all  his  troubles  into  her  sym 
pathetic  ear. 

One  day  Nahma  returned  hot  and  weary  from 
a  chase  that  had  lasted  many  hours  and  pre 
sented  a  noble  stag  to  Aeana.  Without  taking 
notice  of  the  gift,  and  careless  of  his  evident 
weariness,  she  bade  him  fetch  her  water  from  the 
spring.  As  he  willingly  departed  on  this  mission 
she  regarded  him  with  curling  lip,  and  when  he 
returned  bearing  a  large  earthen  jar  of  water 
that  he  set  before  her,  she  promptly  overturned 
it  so  that  its  contents  were  spilled.  At  the  same 
time  she  uttered  the  single  word  "squaw"  with 
an  accent  of  utter  contempt  and  entered  the 
lodge,  leaving  him  bewildered  and  mortified. 

Walking  slowly  towards  the  river,  he  discovered 
Otshata  seated  in  a  shaded  nook  on  its  bank  em 
broidering  a  moccasin  with  painted  quills. 

"My  sister,  why  does  Aeana  hate  me?"  he 
asked,  as  he  flung  himself  despondently  on  the 
turf  beside  her. 

4 'She  hates  thee  not,  my  brother,"  replied  the 
other,  interrupting  her  work  to  look  at  him. 


IN   THE   LODGE    OF   THE   ARROW-MAKER      67 

"  Truly  she  does.  In  every  word  and  by  every 
act  she  shows  her  dislike,"  declared  Nahma,  bit 
terly.  "  She  would  be  glad  never  to  see  me 
more,  and  I  will  go  away  rather  than  remain 
longer  to  displease  her  by  my  presence." 

"  Speak  not  of  such  a  thing!"  exclaimed 
Otshata.  "  Whither  would  you  go,  and  what 
should  we  do  without  our  hunter?  If  Aeana 
seems  to  treat  thee  unkindly,  it  is  only  to  inspire 
thee  with  a  braver  spirit.  She  likes  it  not  that 
one  come  to  the  estate  of  a  warrior  should  tamely 
serve  her.  She  would  have  thee  do  brave  deeds, 
and  also  she  would  have  thee  remember  thy  past. 
Canst  thou  not  do  this,  and  by  hard  thinking  re 
call  some  one  thing  ?  Who  was  thy  father  ?  Who 
struck  the  cruel  blow  that  so  nearly  ended  thy  life  ? 
Who  are  thy  people  ?  Are  they  the  Saganaga  of 
the  south,  the  Oneidas  of  the  west,  or  wast  thou 
born  among  the  fish-eaters  who  dwell  in  the  coun 
try  of  sunrising  ?  I  will  not  ask  if  thou  hast  Huron 
blood  in  thy  veins  ;  for  in  spite  of  thy  moccasins 
I  feel  assured  that  thou  art  not  of  that  wicked 
people." 

By  this  reference  Otshata  recalled  the  fact  that, 


68  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

when  found  wounded  in  the  river  sedge,  Nahma 
had  on  his  feet  a  pair  of  Huron-made  moccasins 
procured  in  the  village  of  Peace  to  replace  others 
worn  out  by  his  journey  ;  but  of  these  he  could 
give  no  account. 

"  I  strive  to  remember,"  declared  the  youth, 
vehemently.  "  Night  and  day,  sleeping  and  wak 
ing,  I  think  till  my  head  seems  like  to  burst,  but 
'tis  of  no  use.  The  only  life  that  I  know  is  here, 
and  if  I  have  had  another,  it  is  gone  from  me  like 
a  dream  of  the  black  hours.  So  it  is  well  that  I 
should  go  away,  and  if  these  Hurons  be  thy 
enemies  and  the  enemies  of  Aeana,  then  will  I 
go  and  fight  against  them  that  she  may  no  longer 
despise  and  hate  me." 

"No,  no  !"  cried  Otshata.  "Think  not  of  the 
war-path,  my  brother.  The  Hurons  are  very  fierce 
and  terrible  and  cruel.  Also  they  are  so  filled  with 
evil  designs  that  only  the  wisest  and  most  experi 
enced  warriors  may  hope  for  success  against 
them.  Thee  they  would  easily  kill ;  or,  what  is 
worse,  they  would  take  advantage  of  thy  sim 
plicity  to  adopt  thee  and  make  thee  sharer  of 
their  wickedness." 


IN   THE   LODGE    OF   THE   ARROW-MAKER      69 

At  this  point  the  conversation  was  interrupted 
by  a  summons  from  Kaweras  bidding1  Massasoit 
come  to  him  quickly. 

While  it  had  been  comparatively  easy  to  keep 
secret  the  presence  of  a  stranger  in  the  lodge  of 
Kaweras  during  his  illness,  it  became  impossible 
to  do  so  after  he  was  out  and  about.  So  a 
knowledge  of  the  mysterious  youth  who  could 
remember  nothing  of  his  past  speedily  became 
noised  abroad,  and  many  persons,  attracted  by 
curiosity,  came  to  see  him.  The  victim  of  these 
interviews  dreaded  them  so  intensely  that  he 
spent  much  time  in  remote  forest  depths  to  avoid 
them.  Now,  however,  he  was  fairly  caught,  and 
going  reluctantly  to  the  lodge,  followed  at  a  dis 
tance  by  Otshata,  he  found  himself  in  the  pres 
ence  of  a  distinguished-looking  chieftain  who  was 
seated  on  a  robe  beside  Kaweras.  Behind  them 
stood  a  group  of  warriors.  As  Nahma  drew 
near  the  eyes  of  all  these  were  fixed  intently 
upon  him,  though  no  word  was  spoken  until  he 
paused  within  a  few  paces  of  his  host. 


CHAPTER    VII 

NAHMA  JOINS   A  WAR-PARTY 

"  MASSASOIT,"  said  Kaweras,  as  the  young  man 
regarded  him  inquiringly,  "  I  would  have  plumes 
from  Ke-neu,  the  great  eagle,  to  make  a  war- 
bonnet.  He  waits  yonder  for  an  invitation  to 
come  to  us.  Can  you  persuade  him  ?" 

With  this  the  speaker  pointed  upward  to  where 
a  golden  eagle,  attracted  by  a  bait  of  raw  flesh 
placed  temptingly  at  some  distance  from  the 
lodge,  circled  on  motionless  pinions. 

Glancing  in  the  direction  indicated,  Nahma 
stepped  within  the  lodge,  from  which  he  quickly 
reappeared  bearing  a  bow  and  three  arrows. 
Again  taking  his  station  in  front  of  Kaweras,  he 
stood  for  a  moment  motionless,  watching  intently 
the  movements  of  the  eagle,  that  still  circled  slowly 
downward.  One  arrow  was  fitted  to  the  bow 
string,  while  the  other  two  were  stuck  in  the 
ground  before  him.  Suddenly  the  youth  lifted 

his  weapon  and  let  fly  its  feathered  dart.     Then 
70 


NAHMA   JOINS   A   WAR-PARTY  71 

he  shot  twice  more  with  such  marvellous  rapidity 
of  motion  that  the  third  arrow  was  leaving  the 
bow  ere  the  first  had  reached  its  mark.  As  the 
spectators  uttered  an  involuntary  exclamation  of 
amazement,  the  great  bird,  evidently  stricken  to 
its  death,  plunged  dizzily  downward  with  feebly 
beating  wings. 

"Bring  it,"  said  the  sachem,  addressing  those 
who  stood  behind  him,  and  each  taking  the  com 
mand  to  himself,  all  sprang  away  in  a  breathless 
race  for  the  trophy. 

"  Do  thou  bring  it,"  said  Kaweras  to  Nahma. 

Instantly  the  young  bowman  darted  forward 
with  such  amazing  swiftness  that,  despite  the 
distance  already  gained  by  the  others,  he  over 
took  and  passed  them  ere  they  could  reach  the 
coveted  goal.  As  he  picked  up  the  dead  bird 
and  bore  it  back  the  others  made  way  for  him, 
nor  did  one  offer  to  take  from  him  the  prize  that 
he  had  thus  twice  won.  As  he  laid  it  at  the  feet 
of  Kaweras  the  bird  was  seen  to  be  transfixed 
by  three  arrows. 

"The  young  man  should  be  named  Sharp-eye, 
Quick-hand,  and  Swift-foot,"  exclaimed  the  visit- 


72  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

ing  sachem,  who  was  none  other  than  Sacandaga, 
"  for  he  has  proved  himself  to  excel  the  best  of 
my  warriors  in  all  these  things.  Not  until  this 
day  have  I  believed  the  tales  told  me  touching 
his  skill  ;  but  now  I  know  them  to  have  been  less 
than  the  truth.  If  he  be  as  fearless  as  he  is  quick 
he  should  take  high  rank  as  a  warrior.  How  say 
you,  Massasoit  ?  Will  you  go  with  me  and  my 
young  men  to  do  battle  with  the  Hurons,  who  are 
reported  to  have  taken  the  war-path  against  us  ?" 

For  a  moment  the  youth  hesitated.  He  glanced 
at  the  old  arrow-maker,  whose  features  were  un 
moved  and  who  made  no  sign.  Then  he  looked 
towards  Otshata,  whose  face  showed  her  distress 
and  who  made  an  imploring  gesture  for  him  to 
decline  the  offer.  Finally  he  turned  to  Aeana, 
who  stood  motionless  and  with  averted  gaze,  but 
her  attitude  and  expression  were  unmistakable. 
They  said  as  plainly  as  words,  "  He  is  a  squaw 
and  dares  not  face  the  war-path." 

In  an  instant  Nahma's  resolution  was  taken, 
and  he  answered  Sacandaga,  saying, — 

"I  am  without  experience  of  the  war-path,  nor 
have  I  knowledge  of  any  people  save  only  of 


NAHMA   JOINS   A   WAR-PARTY  73 

these,  my  father  and  my  sisters.  If,  however, 
these  Hurons  be  the  enemies  of  Kaweras  and 
of  his  daughters,  then  will  I  gladly  go  with  thee 
to  fight  against  them." 

"It  is  well,"  replied  Sacandaga,  greatly  pleased 
to  have  gained  so  promising  a  recruit.  "  Spend 
thou  the  night  with  my  young  men,  who  will  in 
struct  thee  concerning  many  things,  and  in  the 
morning  will  we  set  forth." 

Some  hours  later,  when  the  camp-fires  had 
burned  low  and  the  recumbent  forms  gathered 
about  them  were  buried  in  slumber,  two  men 
issued  silently  from  the  lodge  of  Kaweras  and 
made  their  way  to  a  secluded  spot  on  the 
river-bank,  where  they  believed  they  might  discuss 
weighty  matters  without  danger  of  being  over 
heard.  They  were  Sacandaga  and  the  old  arrow- 
maker,  and  when  they  had  gained  the  place  they 
sought  the  latter  broke  the  silence  by  saying, — 

"It  is  now  many  days  since  I  became  aware 
that  Sacandaga  proposed  to  honor  my  poor  lodge 
by  a  visit.  Also  am  I  informed  of  his  object  in 
coming,  though  he  has  told  it  to  no  man." 

"  How  may  such  a  thing  be  ?"  asked  the  other. 


74  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

"To  all  men  come  dreams,  but  to  a  few  only 
is  given  the  power  of  understanding  them,"  re 
plied  Kaweras.  "  The  many  dream  dreams  and 
forget  them  on  waking.  Some  indeed  recall 
them  and  make  vain  efforts  to  comprehend  their 
meaning ;  but  to  Kaweras  a  dream  speaks  a 
language  as  easy  of  understanding  as  the  signs 
of  the  forest  or  the  voices  of  birds  that  dwell 
among  its  branches." 

11  So  I  have  heard,  and  for  that  reason 
have  I  come  to  thee,"  said  Sacandaga.  "Tell 
me,  then,  what  is  my  desire  and  if  it  may  be 
accomplished." 

"  The  Hurons  are  reported  to  be  gathering  on 
the  war-path  leading  to  the  country  of  the  Iro- 
quois,  and  thy  desire  is  to  proceed  with  such 
promptness  against  them  that  they  may  be  sur 
prised  and  destroyed  while  still  in  their  own  terri 
tory.  Then  would  you  descend  on  their  villages 
and  wipe  them  out,  that  the  power  of  our  enemies 
may  be  broken  forever." 

"That  is  indeed  a  hope  that  I  have  cherished, 
but  always  in  secret,  and  for  my  brother  to  know 
of  it  is  proof  that  I  have  not  done  wrong  in  com- 


NAHMA   JOINS   A   WAR-PARTY  75 

ing  to  him  for  advice,"  said  Sacandaga.  "How, 
then,  Kaweras,  will  this  plan  of  mine  succeed, 
and  shall  we  thus  rid  ourselves  of  the  wolves 
whose  howling  has  so  long  troubled  our  ears?" 

The  prophet  hesitated  before  making  reply. 
Then  he  said  slowly,  "  Sometimes  the  dream- 
pictures  are  so  plenty  and  come  so  quickly  that 
it  is  hard  to  make  out  one  from  another,  as  it  is 
hard  to  understand  the  words  of  one  man  when 
many  are  talking.  I  see  a  fight.  In  it  are 
Maquas  and  Hurons.  The  Maquas  chase  their 
enemies  and  kill  them.  It  is  morning  and  the  sun 
is  shining.  Also  with  this  picture  I  see  another 
battle  in  which  the  Hurons  are  overcoming 
the  Maquas  and  taking  many  prisoners.  In  this 
one  is  thunder  and  lightning,  by  which  many  are 
killed.  Which  is  the  true  picture  I  know  not, 
nor  how  to  advise  my  brother  concerning  them." 

4 'Then  will  I  interpret  and  tell  thee  their  mean 
ing,"  exclaimed  Sacandaga.  "  Both  are  true, 
and  their  meaning  is  this.  I  and  my  young  men 
are  to  go  on  the  war-path  against  the  Huron  dogs 
and  will  surely  encounter  them.  If  we  do  so  on 
a  fair  morning  when  there  is  no  sign  of  storm  in 


76  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

the  air,  then  shall  we  overcome  them  and  wipe 
them  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  If  we  should 
meet  them  in  the  morning  and  delay  an  attack 
until  later  in  the  day,  then  would  the  Great  Spirit 
grow  angry  and  send  his  lightnings  to  destroy  us. 
It  is  well,  my  brother.  I  will  remember  to  seek 
the  enemy  on  a  fair  morning  and  avoid  him  on  a 
day  of  storm.  Now  I  would  ask  thee  one  more 
question.  What  do  thy  dreams  tell  of  the  young 
man  who  is  called  Massasoit?" 

"This  only,"  answered  Kaweras,  "that  he  is 
the  son  of  a  chieftain,  and  will  himself  become  a 
leader  of  men,  wiser  even  and  more  powerful 
than  his  father." 

"  But  who  is  his  father?" 

"I  know  not,  though  of  late  I  have  come  to  a 
suspicion  that  this  young  man  may  be  Nahma, 
the  missing  son  of  Longfeather." 

"That  cannot  be,  for  I  have  had  dealings  with 
the  son  of  Longfeather  and  know  that  he  and 
this  youth  are  not  one  person." 

"  Did  not  that  one  also  claim  to  be  a  son  of 
Canonicus  ?" 

"  He  did  so  claim." 


NAHMA   JOINS    A    WAR-PARTY  77 

"  Then  he  may  have  spoken  falsely  ;  for  Uncas, 
the  Mohican,  hath  lately  sent  me  word  that  Nahma 
and  Miantinomo  are  two  separate  persons,  holding 
no  love  for  each  other  and  having  nothing  in  com 
mon." 

"  If  the  words  of  Uncas  should  prove  true  and 
it  shall  appear  that  I  have  been  led  falsely  into  a 
treaty  with  Canonicus,  then  shall  the  wrath  of 
Sacandaga  fall  upon  the  Narragansetts  even  as 
one  destroys  a  serpent  that  has  stung  him.  I 
will  look  closely  into  the  matter  when  I  have 
returned  from  dealing  with  the  Hurons.  Until 
then  it  is  well  that  I  keep  this  young  man  where 
I  may  watch  over  him." 

In  the  mean  time  the  youth  under  discussion 
had  just  passed  the  pleasantest  evening  his  short 
memory  could  recall.  He  was  like  a  boy  brought 
up  in  a  nursery  with  only  girls  for  companions, 
at  length  set  free  and  for  the  first  time  admitted 
to  the  company  of  men.  He  had  no  recollection 
of  companions  of  his  own  age  and  sex,  so  that 
the  young  warriors  who  now  welcomed  him  to 
their  ranks  were  revelations  as  surprising  as  they 
were  interesting. 


78  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

How  much  they  knew,  and  what  wonderful 
things  they  told  him  !  At  the  same  time  how 
delightful  was  it  to  listen  to  their  praise  of  his 
own  accomplishments  !  Until  now  he  had  not 
known  that  he  possessed  accomplishments,  but 
supposed  that  every  one  could  shoot  and  run 
equally  well  with  himself.  He  could  not  re 
member  having  learned  to  do  these  things,  nor 
had  he  found  occasion  since  entering  the  lodge 
of  Kaweras  to  test  his  skill  in  them  against  that 
of  others.  Now,  therefore,  he  was  surprised  as 
well  as  pleased  to  find  himself  in  the  position  of 
a  hero  on  account  of  abilities  that  he  had  hereto 
fore  regarded  as  commonplace. 

So  pleasant  was  the  evening  thus  spent  with 
his  new  companions  that  when  Sacandaga  gave 
the  signal  for  conversation  to  cease  that  his 
young  men  might  sleep  and  so  prepare  for  an 
early  start  on  the  morrow,  Nahma  was  filled  with 
eager  anticipations  of  the  new  life  opening  before 
him,  and  already  wondered  how  he  could  have 
been  content  with  that  passed  in  the  lodge  of 
Kaweras. 

With   the   earliest    promise  of   dawn    he  was 


NAHMA   JOINS   A   WAR-PARTY  79 

first  of  all  the  sleeping  warriors  to  spring  to  his 
feet  and  begin  preparations  for  departure.  Such 
as  he  had  to  make  were  few  and  simple,  but 
to  him  they  were  of  vast  importance.  New 
moccasins  and  leggings  of  buckskin,  a  light  robe 
of  soft  furs  in  which  to  wrap  himself  at  night, 
and  a  wing  feather  from  the  great  eagle  for 
his  head  completed  his  list  of  personal  belong 
ings.  Besides  these  he  would  take  a  bow  and 
the  quiver  of  fine  flint-headed  arrows  that  Ka- 
weras  presented  to  him  that  morning,  his  stone 
hatchet  or  tomahawk,  and  the  copper  scalping- 
knife  that  was  his  sole  relic  of  a  former  but 
unremembered  life.  Also  he  must  furnish  to  the 
general  stock  of  provisions  a  large,  close-woven 
basket  of  parched  corn. 

By  sunrise  a  meal  had  been  hastily  eaten  and 
everything  was  in  readiness  for  the  setting  forth 
of  the  war-party.  Kaweras  embraced  Nahma 
and  bade  him  make  for  himself  a  name.  Tears 
streamed  down  the  cheeks  of  Otshata  as  she 
bade  him  farewell  and  pressed  into  his  hands  a 
pair  of  daintily  embroidered  moccasins  as  a  token 
of  remembrance.  The  youth  looked  on  all  sides 


8o  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

for  Aeana,  but  she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 
Only  after  his  canoe  was  well  out  on  the  river 
and  he  glanced  back  for  a  farewell  view  of  the 
place  that  had  been  to  him  a  home  did  he  see, 
standing  on  a  slight  elevation  and  gazing  in  his 
direction,  a  solitary  figure  that  he  knew  to  be 
that  of  the  girl  who  scorned  him. 

Some  days  later  he  found  tucked  down  in  the 
toe  of  one  of  Otshata's  moccasins  an  exquisite 
little  tinder-bag  of  softest  fawn-skin  that  he  had 
last  seen  hanging  from  the  shapely  neck  of 
Aeana. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

TWO    YOUNG    SCOUTS 

FOR  two  days  did  Sacandaga's  little  expedition 
proceed  up  the  Shatemuc,  now  making"  tedious 
carries  around  roaring  waterfalls,  and  again  la 
boriously  hauling  their  laden  canoes  up  some 
stretch  of  tumultuous  rapids.  At  one  of  these 
places  Sacandaga,  bidding  Nahma  accompany 
him,  left  the  river  and  made  his  way  swiftly  along 
a  broad  trail  that  led  to  the  westward.  After 
following  it  for  a  while  they  came  to  a  place  of 
many  springs  delightfully  shaded  by  giant  trees. 
Although  no  human  being  was  to  be  seen,  there 
were  on  all  sides  remnants  of  former  encamp 
ments.  Also  the  ground  about  certain  of  the 
springs  was  worn  bare  by  innumerable  hoof- 
prints,  showing  that  deer  and  other  animals  were 
accustomed  to  gather  here  in  great  numbers. 
Deeply  marked  trails  leading  from  every  direc 
tion  centred  here,  as  though  the  springs  formed 
a  meeting-place  for  all  people. 

6  81 


82  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

As  Nahma  noted  these  things  Sacandaga 
smiled  at  his  expression  of  astonishment.  "It 
is  Sara  Tioga,  the  place  of  healing,"  he  said. 
"  To  it  come  all  who  are  sick  or  suffer  pain  that 
they  may  drink  of  the  medicine  waters  and  be 
cured.  Many  would  be  here  now  but  for  the 
report  that  an  enemy  is  coming  this  way.  When 
we  have  wiped  him  out  then  will  we  return  hither, 
that  we  may  rejoice  with  feasting  and  dancing. 
At  that  time  will  be  seen  a  great  gathering  of 
the  Iroquois,  for  this  is  the  place  of  all  their 
places  that  they  most  love.  Now,  however,  we 
may  tarry  only  long  enough  to  drink  of  the  life- 
giving  waters  and  then  must  we  hasten  forward. 
In  drinking  take  careful  note  of  the  spring  most 
offensive  to  thy  taste,  for  thus  may  be  discovered 
which  one  is  most  needful  to  thy  well-being." 

So  Nahma  drank  of  all  the  springs,  finding 
some  of  them  salt,  some  sparkling  with  effer 
vescence,  and  others  so  nauseous  that  he  turned 
from  them  in  disgust. 

"  I  like  none  of  them  and  will  drink  no  more," 
he  finally  declared. 

"Then  must  all  of  them  be  for  thy  good  and 


TWO   YOUNG   SCOUTS  83 

thou  must  stand  in  need  of  all  the  elements  they 
contain,"  answered  his  companion,  who  cared  to 
hear  naught  but  praise  of  his  beloved  springs. 
"  But  let  us  go,  for  we  have  no  time  to  lose." 

As  they  turned  to  depart  from  the  beautiful 
place,  Nahma  suddenly  sprang  upon  his  com 
panion  with  such  violence  that  Sacandaga  was 
hurled  to  the  ground  and  the  young  man  fell 
with  him.  At  the  same  moment  an  arrow  was 
buried  to  its  shaft  in  the  trunk  of  a  beech  a  few 
paces  in  front  of  them,  where  it  stood  quivering 
with  the  force  that  had  sped  it.  Even  as  he  fell 
Nahma  bounded  up,  and  an  instant  later,  when 
the  startled  sachem  also  gained  his  feet,  he  saw 
the  young  warrior  darting  back  in  the  direction 
from  which  they  had  just  come. 

At  the  same  time  a  third  figure  hideously 
daubed  with  war-paint  appeared  in  plain  view. 
He  stood  directly  in  front  of  the  rash  youth  with 
bended  bow  and  a  second  arrow  drawn  to  its 
head.  Quick  as  thought  Nahma  dropped,  and 
the  feathered  missile  flew  harmlessly  above  him. 
As  he  again  leaped  to  his  feet  his  assailant  turned 
to  fly,  but  ere  he  had  taken  half  a  dozen  steps  he 


84  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

sprang  convulsively  into  the  air  and  plunged  head 
long  with  outstretched  arms.  An  arrow  sped  from 
Sacandaga' s  bow  had  passed  through  his  body. 

"Why  did  you  kill  him?"  asked  Nahma,  re 
gretfully,  as  the  two  stood  together  looking 
down  on  the  still  twitching  body  of  their  late  foe. 

"Is  it  not  what  my  young  brother  would  have 
done?"  inquired  Sacandaga,  in  surprise. 

"  No  ;  I  would  have  caught  him  and  made  him 
tell  me  things." 

"What  things?" 

"Why  he  hid  from  us  and  tried  to  kill  us,  who 
he  was,  and  what  he  was  doing  here.  I  do  not 
remember  seeing  him  among  thy  young  men." 

Sacandaga  smiled  grimly.  "  He  seems  to  have 
escaped  being  seen  until  he  came  within  range  of 
Quick-eye  s  vision  ;  but  all  thy  questions  may  be 
answered  in  a  word.  He  is  a  Huron." 

"A  Huron!"  cried  Nahma.  "How  may  that 
be,  when  he  looks  like  other  men  ?  I  thought  a 
Huron  was  a  wolf.  Surely  my  father  has  said 

so." 

«  A  Huron  is  a  wolf  in  spirit,"  replied  Sacan 
daga,  as  he  stooped  and  deftly  removed  the  dead 


TWO    YOUNG    SCOUTS  85 

man's  scalp,  "but  the  wolfish  spirit  is  concealed 
beneath  the  semblance  of  a  man." 

"Then  how  may  one  know  a  Huron?"  asked 
the  puzzled  youth. 

"  By  his  paint,  his  moccasins,  the  cut  of  his 
scalp-lock,  the  fashion  of  his  weapons,  his  cast  of 
feature,  and  by  a  thousand  other  signs  as  plain  as 
the  difference  between  light  and  darkness." 

All  these  things  had  once  been  well  known  to 
Nahma ;  but  now  they  were  as  though  he  had 
never  before  heard  of  them,  and  he  listened 
eagerly  to  the  words  of  Sacandaga's  lesson. 

"  This  time,"  concluded  the  sachem,  "  my  young 
brother  has  done  well,  and  to  his  quickness  of 
sight  combined  with  promptness  of  action  do  I 
owe  my  life.  But  never  again,  my  son,  run  openly 
upon  an  enemy  without  first  knowing  his  strength. 
It  is  seldom  that  a  Huron  spy  comes  alone  into 
the  Iroquois  country,  and  had  there  been  others, 
or  even  one  other,  with  this  one,  thy  death  had 
been  certain.  Always  when  surprised  seek  first 
a  place  of  hiding  from  which  to  discover  the 
strength  of  thy  enemy  and  plan  for  meeting 
him." 


86  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

The  Huron  scout  who  had  just  paid  the  pen 
alty  of  his  daring  was  one  of  two  sent  to  dis 
cover  if  the  Iroquois  had  knowledge  concerning 
the  projected  invasion  of  their  country.  His 
companion  had  remained  with  their  canoe  at  the 
upper  end  of  Andia-ta-roc-te  (Lake  George) 
while  he  had  penetrated  the  country  as  far  as 
the  springs  of  healing,  where,  if  the  Iroquois  felt 
themselves  secure  from  invasion,  he  was  certain 
to  discover  a  number  of  their  lodges.  He  was 
greatly  disappointed  at  finding  the  place  unoccu 
pied,  and  was  about  to  retrace  his  steps  with  the 
information  that  an  alarm  had  been  given,  when 
Sacandaga  and  his  young  companion  appeared 
on  the  scene.  Hiding  like  a  snake  in  the  grass, 
the  Huron  watched  these  two  with  longing  eyes 
while  waiting  to  see  if  they  would  be  followed 
by  others.  He  recognized  Sacandaga,  and  was 
determined  if  possible  to  carry  back  with  him 
the  scalp  of  that  redoubtable  chieftain. 

An  opportunity  came  as  his  enemies  turned  to 
depart,  and  he  cautiously  brought  his  bow  into 
position.  At  that  instant  Nahma,  glancing  back, 
caught  sight  of  a  tip  of  the  weapon  projecting 


TWO   YOUNG    SCOUTS  87 

above  the  tall  grasses  and  did  the  only  thing 
possible  to  save  his  companion's  life. 

As  the  fortunate  survivors  of  this  episode  left 
the  scene  of  its  occurrence  they  took  a  path  lead 
ing  northward,  and  after  a  time  came  again  to  the 
Shatemuc,  having  cut  off  a  great  bend  of  the 
river  that  the  canoes  must  necessarily  follow. 
As  they  went  they  discovered  the  slight  trail 
left  by  the  Huron  scout,  but  at  the  river  it  was 
lost.  Wading  to  the  opposite  bank,  Nahma  soon 
recovered  it,  and  asked  permission  to  follow  it 
farther ;  but  Sacandaga  would  not  grant  this 
until  the  arrival  of  the  canoes.  Then,  after 
briefly  relating  what  had  happened,  he  selected 
a  young  warrior  already  famous  as  a  trailer  and 
ordered  him  to  accompany  Nahma  over  the  path 
the  Huron  had  come.  This  warrior  was  named 
Ah-mik-pan-pin,  or  the  Grinning  Beaver,  on  ac 
count  of  two  prominent  front  teeth  over  which 
his  lips  were  never  wholly  closed. 

"  Have  a  care,"  said  Sacandaga  on  parting 
with  the  young  men,  "and  run  no  risks  for  the 
sake  of  scalps.  What  I  desire  is  a  knowledge 
of  the  party  to  which  that  Huron  belonged.  I 


88  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

would  know  how  large  it  is,  where  it  is  camped, 
and  whether  it  is  coming  or  going.  Find  out 
these  things  as  quickly  as  may  be  and  come 
again  with  thy  news.  The  Maquas  will  sleep 
to-night  at  the  foot  of  the  great  rock  by  the 
shore  of  the  wide  waters.  They  will  have  no 
fire  and  will  make  no  sound,  but  he  who  utters 
the  cry  of  wah-o-nai-sa  (the  whippoorwill)  twice 
and  then  once  will  be  answered  by  the  same  cry 
once  and  then  twice.  Go  thou  and  come  again 
quickly." 

With  this  Nahma  and  Grinning  Beaver  set 
forth,  and  were  instantly  lost  to  view  in  the  thick 
ness  of  the  forest.  For  two  hours  they  sped  for 
ward  without  a  pause,  then  they  began  to  see 
spaces  of  light  through  the  trees,  and  the  Beaver 
intimated  that  they  must  now  exercise  the  great 
est  caution. 

"This  trail  will  not  lead  us  to  them,"  he  whis 
pered,  "  for  they  will  have  moved  to  one  side  or 
the  other  after  their  runner  left.  Let  us,  then, 
go  separately  to  the  water's  edge,  thou  on  the 
one  side  and  I  on  the  other.  Whoever  reaches 
the  beach  first  shall  utter  the  cry  of  wah-o-nai-sa, 


TWO   YOUNG   SCOUTS  89 

and  if  it  be  not  quickly  answered  he  shall  return 
to  see  what  is  wrong.  Is  it  well  ?" 

"It  is  well,"  replied  Nahma,  and  the  two  went 
their  respective  ways  as  agreed. 

With  the  utmost  caution  and  without  a  sound 
louder  than  his  own  breathing  did  Nahma  circle 
towards  the  lighted  space  marking  the  limit  of 
the  forest.  All  at  once  he  stopped  and  listened. 
From  behind  him,  faint  and  distant,  he  had  heard 
an  unmistakable  exclamation  of  surprise. 

It  was  not  repeated  nor  did  he  hear  further 
sounds,  but  it  was  enough,  and  after  a  moment 
of  listening  he  started  back  over  the  way  he  had 
come.  He  found  the  place  where  he  had  parted 
from  his  companion,  and  then  followed  the  slight 
trail  made  by  the  latter.  Suddenly  and  without 
warning  he  came  upon  a  sight  so  startling  that 
he  stood  in  his  tracks  like  one  petrified,  gazing 
at  it  with  dilated  eyes. 

Two  warriors  locked  in  a  deadly  embrace  lay 
motionless  on  the  ground.  Their  surroundings 
were  drenched  with  blood,  and  to  all  appearance 
both  were  dead.  Nahma  stooped  over  them,  and 
saw  to  his  horror  that  one  of  the  faces,  so  swollen 


90  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

and  distorted  that  he  had  not  sooner  recognized 
it,  was  that  of  his  recent  comrade.  The  other 
was  a  Huron,  and  a  knife  still  clutched  by  the 
Beaver's  hand  was  buried  to  the  hilt  in  his  heart. 
At  the  same  time  his  own  fingers  held  the  throat 
of  the  young  Iroquois  with  a  grip  like  that  of  a 
vise. 

It  required  all  of  Nahma's  strength  to  unlock 
that  death-clutch,  but  at  length  he  succeeded,  and 
the  two  mortal  foes  so  recently  thrilled  with  vig 
orous  life  lay  side  by  side  stark  and  rigid. 


CHAPTER    IX 

ON    THE    LAKE 

NAHMA  gazed  about  him  in  dismay.  Night 
was  coming  on,  he  was  alone  in  a  place  of  which 
he  had  no  knowledge,  and  he  believed  himself 
surrounded  by  enemies.  He  even  fancied  he 
could  see  dark  faces  peering  at  him  from  behind 
the  shadowy  tree-trunks.  Above  all,  the  com 
panion  upon  whom  he  had  relied  for  guidance 
and  counsel  lay  dead  at  his  feet.  Although  a 
savage  himself,  accustomed  only  to  savage  sights 
and  ways,  our  lad  had  seen  so  little  of  death  that 
this  last  fact  seemed  incredible.  He  kneeled  be 
side  the  Beaver  and  gazed  into  his  face,  calling 
him  by  name  in  a  low  voice  and  bidding  him 
open  his  eyes. 

As  he  did  this  the  dreadful  aspect  of  the  face 
on  which  he  was  looking  suggested  another  that 
he  had  seen  but  a  week  earlier.  It  had  been  that 
of  a  man  drowned  in  the  Shatemuc  and  brought 

91 


92  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

to  the  lodge  of  Kaweras.  To  all  appearance  he 
was  dead,  and  yet  the  old  arrow-maker  had  re 
stored  him  to  life.  Nahma  remembered  perfectly 
what  was  done  at  that  time,  for  he  had  closely 
watched  every  operation,  and  had  even  assisted 
Kaweras  in  his  efforts.  Now,  in  his  despair  over 
the  present  situation,  but  feeling  that  he  could 
not  yield  to  it  without  making  some  attempt  at 
its  betterment,  he  set  to  work  upon  the  Beaver 
exactly  as  Kaweras  had  done  with  the  drowned 
man.  He  turned  the  body  on  its  face,  drew  for 
ward  the  tongue,  and  cleared  the  mouth  of  froth. 
Then  by  rolling  the  body  on  its  side  and  back 
again,  at  the  same  time  applying  a  gentle  press 
ure  to  back  and  breast,  he  forced  air  into  and 
expelled  it  again  from  the  lungs,  thus  producing 
an  artificial  breathing.  After  that  he  sought  to 
restore  circulation  by  rubbing  upward  along  the 
legs.  In  all  his  efforts  he  was  without  hope  of 
success  and  only  worked  for  the  sake  of  doing 
something.  He  was  therefore  utterly  amazed  as 
well  as  overjoyed  to  detect  in  his  patient  a  slight 
gasping  for  breath.  He  could  scarcely  believe 
he  had  heard  aright  until  it  was  repeated,  and 


ON   THE   LAKE  93 

then  he  knew  that  the  Beaver  was  still  to  be 
counted  among  those  who  lived. 

Without  thought  of  the  danger  from  probable 
enemies,  Nahma  sprang  to  his  feet,  started  towards 
the  lake  for  water,  and  had  gone  half-way  before  he 
recalled  that  he  had  nothing  in  which  to  fetch  it. 
Upon  this  he  ran  back,  and  picking  up  the  still 
unconscious  form  of  his  companion,  staggered  to 
the  beach  with  it  in  his  arms.  On  his  way  he  ran 
across  a  canoe  concealed  in  a  clump  of  bushes, 
but  paid  no  attention  to  it  for  the  moment. 

As  he  laid  his  burden  on  the  sand  and  glanced 
up  to  see  if  they  were  still  safe  from  the  presence 
of  enemies,  he  detected  a  vague  form  some  dis 
tance  up  the  beach  that  disappeared  within  the 
forest  even  as  he  looked.  It  must  of  course  be 
a  Huron  warrior,  and  doubtless  others  were  with 
him.  In  that  case  to  remain  where  they  were 
meant  certain  destruction,  and  there  was  but 
one  way  to  save  his  helpless  companion  as  well 
as  himself.  The  canoe  that  he  had  just  discov 
ered  would  at  least  bear  them  away  from  the 
treacherous  forest  and  give  them  a  fighting 
chance  for  their  lives  in  the  open. 


94  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

In  another  minute  Nahma  had  launched  the 
light  craft,  placed  his  comrade  inside,  and  was 
paddling  furiously  out  over  the  lake.  He  had 
not  gone  more  than  one  hundred  yards  when 
a  series  of  yells  from  behind,  and  a  flight  of 
arrows  sent  with  deadly  intent,  showed  that  his 
escape  was  discovered.  Most  of  the  arrows  fell 
short,  and  none  of  them  inflicted  any  damage. 
At  the  same  time  Nahma,  glancing  back,  thought 
he  saw  other  canoes  coming  down  the  coast. 

It  was  now  so  nearly  dark  that  all  objects  were 
indistinct,  and  if  he  could  only  maintain  his  lead 
for  a  short  time  longer  he  might  still  evade  his 
pursuers.  So  the  tired  youth  infused  new  energy 
into  his  paddling  and  urged  his  craft  forward  with 
redoubled  speed.  As  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
lake,  he  had  no  idea  where  to  look  for  the  great 
rock  beside  which  Sacandaga  was  to  spend  the 
night,  nor  was  the  Beaver  in  any  condition  to 
afford  him  information.  So  he  held  a  course  as 
far  as  possible  from  both  shores  and  continued 
his  paddling  until  nearly  midnight,  when  he  was 
forced  by  sheer  exhaustion  to  give  it  over. 

Dark  as  was  the  night,  our  lad  could  still  dis- 


ON    THE    LAKE  95 

tinguish  the  darker  forms  of  occasional  islands  as 
he  passed  them,  and  at  length  drawing  cautiously 
in  towards  one  of  these,  he  made  a  landing.  In 
all  this  time  the  Beaver  had  been  slowly  strug 
gling  back  to  life,  but  he  was  still  devoid  of 
strength  or  a  knowledge  of  his  surroundings. 
So  Nahma  prepared  as  well  as  he  could  a  bed 
of  branches  and  grass,  to  which  he  bore  his  com 
rade.  He  also  dragged  up  the  canoe  and  turned 
it  on  its  side  to  provide  shelter  from  a  drizzle  of 
chill  rain  that  was  beginning  to  fall.  Having 
completed  these  simple  preparations,  the  youth 
ate  a  handful  of  parched  corn  drawn  from  his 
wallet,  and  lying  down  beside  the  Beaver  was 
almost  instantly  fast  asleep. 

In  regard  to  the  necessaries  of  life  the  Ameri 
can  of  that  day  was  in  no  degree  removed  from 
the  beasts  of  the  field.  Like  them  he  could 
thrive  upon  the  natural  products  of  the  forest, 
and  he  also  found  its  shelters  sufficient  for  his 
needs  even  in  the  most  inclement  weather.  With 
materials  for  a  feast  at  hand  he  feasted  ;  but  when 
they  were  lacking  he  went  without  food  uncom 
plainingly  and  for  incredible  lengths  of  time.  If 


96  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

in  the  present  instance  our  lad  had  dared  allow 
himself  the  luxury  of  a  fire  he  would  quickly 
have  acquired  all  the  comforts  of  a  home,  includ 
ing  an  abundance  of  cooked  food,  a  good  bed, 
warmth,  and  light.  As  it  was  he  accepted  cold, 
wet,  hunger,  and  a  most  uncomfortable  resting- 
place  as  things  liable  to  be  encountered  at  any 
time  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events. 

The  remainder  of  the  night  passed  without 
incident,  and  by  dawn  Nahma  was  once  more 
alert.  His  first  move  was  to  climb  a  tall  tree 
that  stood  close  at  hand  and  take  a  comprehen 
sive  survey  of  the  lake.  Seeing  it  thus  for  the 
first  time  by  daylight,  he  was  impressed  by  its 
marvellous  beauty.  Its  blue  waters  were  dotted 
with  islands  all  wooded  and  blending  every  shade 
of  green.  On  both  sides  forest-covered  hills  rose 
abruptly  from  the  shore,  and  back  of  them  tow 
ered  mountains  higher  than  any  he  had  ever 
seen.  The  lake  was  nowhere  more  than  a  mile 
or  two  in  width,  and  to  the  northward  it  narrowed 
rapidly. 

Having  gazed  as  long  as  he  dared  on  the  out 
spread  beauties  of  the  scene,  and  satisfied  him- 


ON    THE    LAKE  97 

self  that  nothing  was  in  motion  on  the  face  of  the 
waters,  the  youth  descended  from  his  observatory 
and  proceeded  to  make  ready  a  breakfast.  He 
was  tired  of  parched  corn,  and  his  ravenous 
appetite  demanded  something  more  substantial. 
He  even  decided  to  run  the  risk  of  a  fire.  So 
he  gathered  a  small  quantity  of  dry,  hard  wood 
that  would  burn  with  the  least  amount  of  smoke, 
and,  after  an  exasperating  struggle  with  flints  and 
tinder,  caught  a  spark  that  was  finally  fanned  into 
a  brisk  blaze.  With  the  making  of  a  fire  the 
hardest  part  of  his  breakfast-getting  was  ended, 
although  he  had  as  yet  nothing  to  cook.  Five 
minutes  later,  however,  he  was  in  possession  of  a 
large  pickerel  and  two  good-sized  bass,  all  of 
which  had  been  enticed  within  striking  distance 
of  his  arrows  by  a  bait  of  worms.  These  fish 
wrapped  in  green  leaves  were  buried  under  a 
bed  of  coals,  and  while  they  were  cooking  Nahma 
gathered  berries. 

When  all  was  in  readiness,  he  was  vastly  dis 
appointed  to  find  that  his  companion  was  unable 
to  share  in  the  meal.  The  Beaver  had  so  far 
recovered  that  he  was  able  to  sit  up  and  take  an 


98  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

intelligent  interest  in  what  was  going  on.  The 
expression  of  longing  with  which  he  regarded 
those  baked  fish  left  no  doubt  that  he,  too,  was 
hungry  ;  but,  alas  !  he  could  not  swallow  food. 
His  throat  was  so  swollen  that  he  could  not  even 
speak,  and  he  still  breathed  with  difficulty.  He 
was  so  parched  with  thirst  that  he  managed  after 
a  painful  struggle  to  swallow  a  few  drops  of  water, 
but  that  was  all. 

So  Nahma  was  reluctantly  obliged  to  eat  alone 
while  his  companion  watched  him  enviously.  As 
he  ate,  the  former  told  what  he  knew  concerning 
the  events  of  the  preceding  evening,  and  the 
Beaver  learned  for  the  first  time  that  they  were 
on  an  island  far  down  the  lake  in  hiding  from  a 
war-party  of  Hurons.  He  had  wondered  at  find 
ing  himself  alone  with  Nahma  instead  of  in  Sa- 
candaga's  company,  but  had  supposed  that  they 
were  within  a  short  distance  of  the  great  rock,  as 
he  knew  had  been  the  case  when  they  first  gained 
the  lake-shore.  His  distress  at  being  unable  to 
ask  questions  and  express  his  views  on  the  situa 
tion  was  so  evident  as  to  suggest  a  possible 
remedy,  upon  which  Nahma  immediately  set  to 


ON    THE    LAKE  99 

work.  First  he  stripped  some  sheets  of  bark 
from  a  white  birch,  and  with  them  fashioned  a 
rude  but  water-tight  bowl  that  would  hold  about 
a  gallon.  This  he  partially  filled  with  water.  In 
the  mean  time  he  had  thrown  into  the  fire  some 
large  beach  pebbles,  and  these  were  now  thor 
oughly  heated.  Lifting  them  with  forked  sticks 
and  dropping  them  into  the  bowl,  he  almost  in 
stantly  had  hot  water,  with  which  he  bade  the 
Beaver  bathe  his  throat. 

While  the  latter  was  doing  this  Nahma  be 
thought  himself  to  climb  once  more  into  his  ob 
servatory  for  another  look  at  the  lake.  As  he 
gained  the  highest  available  branch  and  glanced 
back  over  the  way  they  had  come  he  uttered  an 
exclamation  of  dismay.  Not  more  than  two  miles 
distant  was  a  fleet  of  canoes  advancing  directly 
towards  him.  He  could  plainly  see  the  flash  of 
their  paddles  and  note  their  movements  as  they 
separated  or  closed  together.  There  was  no 
doubt  but  that  the  enemy  from  whom  he  had  fled 
was  again  close  upon  him,  and  to  remain  on  that 
island  meant  certain  discovery,  since  no  Indian 
would  pass  a  fire  without  finding  out  by  whom 


ioo  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

it  had  been  kindled.  To  leave  the  island  and 
make  for  the  mainland  on  either  side  was  out  of 
the  question,  for  their  moving  canoe  would  surely 
be  discovered.  Thus  the  only  thing  remaining  to 
be  done  was  to  proceed  straight  down  the  lake, 
with  the  hope  of  gaining  another  place  of  con 
cealment  while  still  hidden  by  the  island  from 
those  who  came  behind. 

With  this  plan  formed  our  young  warrior  hastily 
descended  the  tree,  told  his  companion  that  the 
Hurons  were  again  in  hot  pursuit,  and  bundled 
him  into  the  canoe  ere  he  had  time  to  gain  further 
information.  Then  Nahma  gave  him  a  paddle 
and  told  him  that  if  he  valued  his  life  he  must 
put  forth  whatever  of  strength  he  had  remaining. 


CHAPTER    X 

AN    OKI    OF    THE    WATERS 

As  Nahma  had  intended  remaining  on  the 
island  until  his  companion  fully  recovered  from 
his  injuries,  he  had  not  hurried  with  any 
thing  that  he  had  done  that  morning.  Conse 
quently  it  was  mid-day  when  the  flight  was 
resumed  and  the  fugitives  again  headed  their 
canoe  down  the  lake,  keeping  the  island  directly 
behind  them  as  a  screen  from  their  pursuers. 
Although  working  furiously  at  his  paddle,  Nahma 
glanced  behind  him  every  few  moments,  and  as 
time  passed  was  amazed  that  the  enemy  did  not 
come  into  sight. 

At  length,  after  a  couple  of  hours  of  incessant 
labor,  the  canoe  rounded  a  bold  headland  that 
nearly  cut  the  lake  in  twain,  and  was  hidden 
behind  it  from  any  who  might  be  following. 
Here  the  lake  was  very  narrow,  and  Nahma 
proposed  that  they  should  run  the  canoe  ashore, 
hide  it,  and  seek  to  rejoin  their  friends  by  land. 


101 


102  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

"No,"  said  the  Beaver,  who  had  recovered  his 
power  of  speech.  "If  the  Hurons  are  following 
us,  they  will  surely  have  scouts  in  the  forest  on 
both  sides.  We  should  be  certain  to  fall  in  with 
these,  and  I  am  not  yet  ready  for  fighting.  Now 
that  we  have  come  thus  far  by  water,  let  us  keep 
on.  At  a  short  distance  from  here  this  lake  ends, 
but  it  is  joined  to  another  much  larger.  On  that 
other  a  canoe  may  go  north  even  to  the  country 
of  the  Hurons.  It  may  also  go  south  to  the  land 
of  the  Iroquois.  Let  us,  then,  find  the  big  water 
and  turn  to  the  south,  for  if  those  following  us  be 
Hurons  they  will  certainly  hold  a  course  to  the 
northward." 

"We  will  do  as  my  brother  says,"  replied 
Nahma,  delighted  to  have  again  the  counsel  of 
his  more  experienced  companion.  So  the  course 
of  the  canoe  was  continued,  but  only  Nahma 
now  wielded  a  paddle.  The  Beaver  had  been 
so  much  benefited  by  hot-water  applications  and 
by  the  subsequent  exercise  of  paddling  that  his 
throat  was  again  serviceable.  Not  only  could  he 
talk  but  he  believed  he  could  eat,  and  as  Nahma 
had  brought  along  one  of  the  three  fish  caught 


AN   OKI    OF   THE   WATERS  103 

for  breakfast,  he  made  the  attempt  with  such 
gratifying  success  that  it  quickly  disappeared. 
Being  thus  refreshed  and  strengthened,  he  began 
to  question  his  companion  concerning  the  events 
of  the  preceding  night. 

When  Nahma  related  the  finding  of  the  two 
mortal  enemies  clutched  in  a  death-grapple  the 
Beaver  said, — 

"It  is  so.  As  I  saw  the  Huron  he  saw  me, 
and  we  sprang  at  each  other  with  our  knives,  for 
we  were  too  close  to  use  bows  or  even  the 
tomahawk.  His  knife  broke,  and  as  I  drove 
mine  into  his  body  his  fingers  closed  about  my 
throat.  Ugh  !  It  was  the  grip  of  a  bear,  and  I 
could  not  loose  it.  Again  and  again  did  I  bury 
my  knife  in  his  heart,  but  he  would  not  let  go. 
Then  all  became  black  and  I  died.  How  my 
brother  brought  me  back  from  the  place  of  Okis 
[departed  spirits]  I  know  not,  but  when  next  I 
awoke  he  lay  beside  me  under  a  canoe  and  a 
band  as  of  fire  was  about  my  head.  Now,  there 
fore,  the  life  of  Grinning  Beaver  belongs  to  his 
brother.  But  tell  me  quickly  how  knew  you  we 
were  pursued  by  Hurons  ?  There  were  traces  of 


io4  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

but  two  of  them,  while  many  of  our  own  people 
were  to  meet  Sacandaga  at  the  great  rock." 

"  I  know  that  our  pursuers  are  Hurons,  or  at 
least  enemies,  because  they  crept  on  us  by  stealth. 
Also  when  they  saw  we  had  escaped  they  yelled 
with  rage  and  shot  arrows  to  kill  us.  Besides 
that,  they  followed  after  us  in  canoes,  and  but 
for  the  coming  of  darkness  would  surely  have 
overtaken  us." 

"Is  it  certain  that  they  shot  after  us  with 
arrows  ?" 

"  It  is  certain,  for  one  of  them  struck  the  canoe 
and  lies  even  yet  where  it  fell.  So  my  brother 
may  see  for  himself  and  know  that  I  have 
spoken  truly." 

The  Beaver  plucked  the  arrow  thus  indicated 
from  the  sheathing  of  the  canoe  in  which  its  point 
was  embedded  and  examined  it  closely.  As  he 
did  so  a  puzzled  expression  came  over  his  face, 
and  he  exclaimed, — 

"  But  this  is  not  a  Huron  arrow  !  It  is  of  the 
Iroquois,  and  might  have  been  made  by  Kaweras 
himself.  Look.  As  a  bowman  thou  shouldst 
know  this  fashion  of  feathering." 


AN   OKI    OF   THE    WATERS  105 

''I  do  know  it,"  replied  Nahma,  taking  the 
proffered  arrow  as  he  spoke  and  studying  its 
make.  "  Also  I  should  have  recognized  it  sooner 
had  I  looked,  but  it  fell  in  darkness,  and  since 
then  I  have  been  too  busy  to  recall  it  until  now." 

"If  this  was  the  only  style  of  arrow  aimed  at 
us,"  continued  the  Beaver,  "  those  who  pursue 
us  must  be  friends,  who  have  in  turn  mistaken  us 
for  enemies." 

"It  would  seem  so,"  agreed  Nahma,  in  a 
mortified  tone,  "  and  it  is  to  my  shame  that  I 
should  have  shown  so  great  stupidity." 

"  Take  it  not  to  heart,  my  brother.  No  warrior 
may  learn  his  trade  save  by  experience.  What 
you  have  done  has  been  well  done,  and  no  harm 
has  come  of  it.  Only  now  that  we  know  those 
behind  us  to  be  friends,  we  must  look  sharply 
for  enemies  in  front  and  see  that  our  friends  come 
not  upon  them  unaware." 

"Shall  we  not  turn  back  at  once,"  asked 
Nahma,  "and  give  to  Sacandaga  a  warning  of 
the  true  state  of  affairs  ?" 

"  Not  at  once,  but  presently,"  replied  the 
Beaver,  "for  we  are  even  now  close  to  the 


io6  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

great  waters  of  which  I  spoke.  It  will  be  well, 
therefore,  if  we  take  a  look  at  them  before  turn 
ing  back.  We  may  thus  have  news  to  report 
that  will  cause  him  to  rejoice  at  sight  of  us." 

During  this  conversation  Nahma  had  continued 
to  paddle  easily,  and  the  canoe  had  glided  gently 
forward  with  the  current  of  a  forest-shaded  stream 
forming  an  outlet  to  the  lake  they  had  just  trav 
ersed.  As  the  Beaver  concluded  his  remarks 
the  roar  of  falling  waters  ahead  of  them  gave 
warning  that  their  farther  progress  in  this  direc 
tion  was  barred.  So  the  canoe  was  left  cunningly 
as  though  it  had  drifted  to  that  place,  and  the  two 
young  scouts  made  their  way  through  a  mile-wide 
strip  of  forest  to  the  shore  of  a  second  lake  that  lay 
behind.  Here  they  gazed  eagerly  out  over  the 
wide  water-way,  but  for  a  moment  saw  nothing 
unusual.  As  they  were  about  to  venture  into 
the  open,  Nahma  checked  the  movement  with  a 
guarded  exclamation  of  amazement.  A  human 
figure  had  suddenly  appeared  on  the  crest  of  a 
headland  that  jutted  into  the  lake  a  short  distance 
from  them,  and  for  several  seconds  it  stood  mo 
tionless  in  the  full  light  of  the  westering  sun,  as 


AN   OKI    OF   THE    WATERS  107 

though  spell-bound  by  the  beauty  of  the  out 
spread  landscape. 

Although  it  presented  the  form  of  man,  it  was 
unlike  anything  either  of  the  astonished  observers 
had  ever  seen.  It  appeared  twice  the  size  of  an 
ordinary  man,  and  at  certain  points  it  glinted  in 
the  sunlight  with  a  sheen  like  that  of  rippling 
waters.  Its  head,  upon  which  the  sunlight  also 
flashed,  was  of  huge  proportions  and  apparently 
devoid  of  hair. 

"  It  is  an  Oki,"  whispered  the  Beaver,  appre 
hensively.  "  A  god  of  the  waters.  See  you  not 
how  he  shines  with  wetness  ?" 

Even  as  the  Beaver  spoke,  a  second  figure 
appeared  for  an  instant  beside  the  one  at  which 
the  awe-stricken  youths  were  gazing.  It  was  that 
of  a  man  like  themselves,  half-naked,  painted,  and 
bedecked  with  feathers.  This  last  apparition 
plucked  the  other  by  the  arm  and  they  disap 
peared  together. 

Our  young  scouts  looked  at  each  other  in 
wonderment.  "We  must  know  more  of  this 
affair,"  said  the  Beaver.  "  Let  us  move  in  that 
direction  and  see  what  may  be  found." 


io8  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

A  few  minutes  later,  moving  with  the  utmost 
caution,  they  had  reached  a  point  from  which  they 
could  look  beyond  the  headland.  There  they  be 
held  a  scene  that  held  their  gaze  with  breathless 
interest,  and,  crouching  beneath  the  overhang 
ing  branches  of  a  thick-growing  spruce,  they 
watched  it  in  silence. 

The  sun  was  setting  and  its  light  was  growing 
dim,  but  they  could  see  a  fleet  of  canoes  drawn 
up  on  the  lake-shore,  and  beyond  them  many 
men  moving  busily  about  a  large  cleared  space. 
They  could  not  discover  among  these  the  strange 
figure  that  had  first  attracted  their  attention,  nor 
was  there  any  glow  of  fire-light. 

The  Beaver  drew  in  his  breath  as  though  about 
to  speak,  but  Nahma  checked  him  with  warning 
hand,  and  at  the  same  instant  a  twig  snapped 
directly  behind  them.  The  young  scouts  dared 
not  so  much  as  move  their  heads,  but  from  the 
corners  of  their  eyes  they  caught  glimpses  of 
four  shadowy  forms  that  flitted  noiselessly  by 
and  vanished  in  the  direction  from  '  which 
they  themselves  had  come.  They  were  Hurons 
seeking  to  make  certain  before  the  complete 


AN    OKI    OF    THE    WATERS  109 

shutting  in  of  night  that  no  enemy  lurked  in 
the  vicinity  of  their  camp. 

For  several  minutes  after  these  had  passed 
our  lads  remained  motionless  and  silent.  Then 
the  Beaver  rose  and  moved  without  a  sound  in 
the  direction  taken  by  the  Huron  scouts,  while 
Nahma,  his  nerves  tense  with  excitement,  fol 
lowed  the  lead  thus  given.  Neither  spoke  until 
finally  they  came  again  to  the  place  where  they 
had  left  their  canoe.  To  their  dismay,  it  was 
gone,  but  the  Beaver  said  in  a  whisper, — 

"It  is  well  for  us  that  it  is  of  Huron  make, 
so  that  they  may  think  it  was  left  by  those  of 
their  own  people  who  were  sent  ahead.  Now 
let  us  find  Sacandaga,  for  we  have  much  to  tell 
him." 

The  task  of  making  their  unlit  way  back  along 
the  shore  of  the  stream  they  had  so  recently 
descended  without  effort  was  beset  with  many 
difficulties.  They  must  keep  close  to  the  river, 
for  not  only  was  it  their  guide  but  by  it  sooner 
or  later  their  friends  were  almost  certain  to  pass. 
They  must  thread  the  forest  mazes  in  silence,  and 
they  must  pause  with  every  minute  to  listen  for 


no  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

the  dip  of  paddles.  Even  then  Sacandaga's 
canoes  might  drift  by  them  unseen  and  unheard. 
But  a  warning  must  be  given,  if  such  a  thing 
were  possible,  and  in  spite  of  all  obstacles  they 
pushed  steadily  forward. 

At  length  they  came  to  a  place  where  the 
stream  began  to  broaden.  They  had  gained  the 
lower  end  of  Andia-ta-roc-te  and  dared  go  no 
farther.  So  they  waited  while  Nahma  uttered 
full  and  clear  the  plaintive  call  of  the  whippoor- 
will.  Twice  did  he  repeat  it,  and  then  once  more 
after  a  brief  interval. 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE    COMING    OF    SACANDAGA 

As  the  concluding  notes  of  Nahma's  cry 
echoed  over  the  still  waters  and  were  lost 
among  the  distant  hills,  the  two  youths  listened 
anxiously  for  an  answer.  Nor  had  they  long  to 
wait,  for  within  a  minute  the  call  of  a  whippoor- 
will  came  back  to  them  almost  exactly  as  the 
young  warrior  had  uttered  it ;  but  it  came  from 
the  wrong  direction. 

"Sacandaga  has  passed  us  after  all,"  muttered 
Nahma  in  a  tone  of  vexation. 

"Not  so,"  replied  the  Beaver,  "for  that  was 
not  the  answer  agreed  upon.  Do  you  not  re 
member?  The  call  was  to  be  two  and  then 
one,  while  the  answer  was  to  be  one  and  then 
two.  This  answer  came  back  even  as  the  call 
was  given,  and  so  could  not  have  been  made  by 
Sacandaga  or  any  of  his  warriors." 

"Who,  then ?"  began  Nahma,  but  he  was 

interrupted  by  a  quavering  note  of  ko-ko-anse 


ii2  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

(the  little  screech-owl)  that  came  from  no  great 
distance. 

"It  is  a  Huron  call,"  whispered  the  Beaver; 
"answer  it  quickly."  This  Nahma  did,  and  the 
Beaver  continued,  "They  are  on  the  water  and 
will  come  to  this  point  for  further  information. 
Do  you  remain  here  and  take  care  that  they  dis 
cover  not  thy  presence.  I  will  retire  a  little  and 
entice  them  or  some  of  them  to  me,  for  I  can 
speak  the  Huron  tongue.  After  that  we  must 
be  guided  by  what  will  follow.  Is  it  well  ?" 

"It  is  well,"  whispered  Nahma,  as  he  crouched 
low  beside  a  log,  one  end  of  which  extended 
into  the  water.  He  did  not  hear  the  Beaver 
take  his  departure,  but  knew  that  he  was  gone. 
Then  from  off  the  river,  but  close  at  hand,  came 
again  the  tremulous  cry  of  ko-ko-anse.  It  was 
answered  by  the  Beaver  from  a  short  distance 
inland,  who  in  a  voice  disguised  as  though  by 
weakness  cried, — 

"  Help  me,  brothers.      Help  me  before  I  die." 

"Who  calls?"  inquired  a  voice  from  the  water. 

"  A  Huron  scout  sorely  wounded  and  help 
less,"  answered  the  Beaver. 


THE    COMING    OF    SACANDAGA  113 

"Is  he  alone?" 

"He  is  alone.  There  was  another  with  him, 
but  he  was  killed  two  days  since.  Help  or  I 
perish." 

"Art  thou  Chebacno  or  Wabensickewa  ?" 

"I  am  Wabensickewa.  Chebacno  was  slain 
by  the  Iroquois,  who  are  even  now  making  ready 
a  war-party.  I  hastened  back  to  bring  news  of 
it,  and  landed  here  to  rest  until  darkness.  While 
I  slept  a  panther  leaped  on  my  back.  Before  I 
could  kill  him  he  had  so  injured  me  that  I  cannot 
walk.  Also  are  my  eyes  blinded  so  that  I  cannot 
see.  I  have  a  canoe  that  you  will  find  at  the 
water's  edge,  if  indeed  the  wind  has  not  drifted 
it  away.  I  have  called  many  times,  and  was  about 
to  give  over  calling  when  your  answer  came  to 
lend  me  new  strength.  Now,  then,  my  brothers, 
come  quickly,  for  I  have  much  to  tell  before  I 
die." 

A  moment  later  Nahma  felt  a  slight  jar  pass 
through  the  log  against  which  he  lay  and  heard 
a  few  whispered  words  of  consultation.  Then 
two  figures  stepped  ashore  and,  passing  so  close 
to  him  that  he  could  have  touched  them,  noise- 

8 


ii4  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

lessly  entered  the  forest.  He  waited  for  a  mo 
ment  and  then  cautiously  lifted  his  head.  Against 
the  faint  gleam  of  water  he  could  distinguish  the 
black  bulk  of  a  canoe  and  see  that  it  still  held 
two  other  figures  who  sat  motionless.  Slowly 
he  raised  his  bow  with  a  stone-headed  arrow 
fitted  to  its  string  until  one  of  the  sitting  figures 
was  fairly  covered.  Then  he  waited  with  tense 
muscles  and  a  heart  that  seemed  like  to  burst 
with  its  furious  beating.  From  behind  him  came 
a  low  moaning  that  he  knew  was  made  by  the 
Beaver  to  deceive  his  enemies. 

Suddenly  the  oppressive  silence  was  broken 
by  the  twang  of  a  bowstring  that  was  instantly 
followed  by  fierce  yells.  High  above  these  rose 
the  defiant  war-cry  of  the  Iroquois,  but  its  last 
note  was  cut  short  and  ended  in  a  choking 

gurgle. 

Somehow  Nahma  managed  to  hear  these  things, 
though  he  was  at  the  same  time  intensely  busy 
with  affairs  of  his  own.  At  the  first  intimation 
of  a  struggle  behind  him  he  had  let  fly  his  ready 
arrow,  and  one  of  the  two  figures  in  the  canoe 
dropped  heavily  forward.  The  other,  seeing  what 


THE    COMING    OF   SACANDAGA  115 

he  had  supposed  was  a  log  suddenly  endowed 
with  life  and  leaping  towards  him,  uttered  a  cry 
of  terror,  sprang  overboard,  and  disappeared  be 
neath  the  black  waters.  While  Nahma  tossed 
the  limp  form  of  the  other  Huron  from  the 
canoe  preparatory  to  going  in  pursuit  of  this 
swimmer,  a  rustling  among  the  bushes  warned 
him  to  make  good  his  own  escape  while  yet  he 
might,  and  giving  the  canoe  a  great  shove,  he 
leaped  aboard. 

As  the  craft  shot  out  into  the  open  a  voice 
hailed  it  from  the  shore  ;  but  as  the  words  were 
spoken  in  the  Huron  tongue,  Nahma  made  no 
answer.  He  hesitated  for  a  moment,  wondering 
whether  it  might  not  be  the  Beaver  who  called  ; 
but  with  a  repetition  of  the  demand  he  knew  that 
that  was  not  the  case.  He  was  confirmed  in  this 
belief  by  hearing  a  slight  splash  from  close  at 
hand,  a  stifled  exclamation,  and  a  few  whispered 
words.  Evidently  the  swimmer  who  had  made 
so  hasty  an  exit  from  the  canoe  had  been  encour 
aged  by  the  voice  of  a  friend  to  gain  the  land, 
and  now  the  two  were  once  more  in  communi 
cation. 


n6  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

What  had  become  of  the  Beaver?  Recalling 
the  Iroquois  war-cry  and  its  sadly  suggestive 
ending,  Nahma  had  little  doubt  that  he  had 
been  overcome  and  killed.  He  hated  to  think 
of  deserting  his  comrade  without  knowing  for  a 
certainty  whether  he  were  alive  or  dead,  and  yet 
to  attempt  a  landing  in  face  of  two  enemies,  and 
perhaps  three,  would  be  an  act  of  folly.  His 
canoe  had  drifted  out  so  far  that  they  could 
not  see  him  in  his  present  position,  but  it 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  gain  the  shore 
anywhere  in  that  vicinity  without  detection. 

While  in  this  state  of  indecision,  which  in  reality 
lasted  but  a  few  seconds,  he  heard  faint  and  far 
away  the  cry  of  a  whippoorwill.  Twice  was  it 
uttered,  and  then  again  after  a  short  interval. 
It  must  be  the  signal  of  Sacandaga,  since  it  came 
from  up  the  lake.  Doubtless  it  had  been  made 
in  answer  to  the  Beaver's  far-reaching  war-cry. 
In  another  moment  Nahma's  canoe,  impelled  by  a 
noiseless  paddle,  was  speeding  in  that  direction. 
He  dared  not  at  once  reply  to  the  signal  for 
fear  of  drawing  a  flight  of  Huron  arrows  ;  but 
as  soon  as  he  believed  himself  beyond  range  of 


THE   COMING   OF   SACANDAGA  117 

these  he  rested  on  his  paddle  and  sent  far  across 
the  lake  the  vibrant  cry  of  wah-o-nai-sa  once  and 
then  twice. 

A  full  minute  elapsed  before  the  answer  came, 
and  then  he  was  startled  by  its  nearness.  Had 
he  not  known  better,  he  would  have  sworn  that  it 
was  uttered  by  a  bird  in  flight  while  passing 
directly  above  him.  Allowing  his  craft  to  drift, 
he  listened  and  heard  the  quick  dip  of  many 
paddles.  A  fleet  of  canoes  was  rushing  towards 
him,  and,  as  he  began  to  distinguish  their  vague 
outlines,  he  uttered  a  low  call  to  attract  atten 
tion. 

"Who  is  it?"  demanded  the  voice  of  Sacan- 
daga,  sharply,  as  the  speed  of  the  oncoming 
canoes  was  checked. 

"It  is  Massasoit,"  answered  the  lad. 

"Where  is  Grinning  Beaver,  thy  companion? 
Did  he  utter  the  war-cry  of  the  Iroquois  that 
came  to  us  as  we  were  entering  our  canoes  for 
a  night  of  travel  ?" 

"I  fear  the  Beaver  is  dead,"  replied  Nahma. 
"And  if  so,  he  was  killed  even  with  the  sounding 
of  his  war-cry." 


n8  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

"Who  killed  him?"  demanded  Sacandaga, 
fiercely. 

"The  Hurons." 

"  How  many  are  there  ?" 

"  Only  four  did  we  encounter.  Of  these  I  saw 
one  fall,  and  believe  that  the  Beaver,  who  was 
separated  from  me,  killed  another.  One  leaped 
into  the  water  and  one  I  know  escaped  from  the 
Beaver." 

"Were  you  on  land  or  on  the  water?" 

"We  were  on  land,  and  this  is  the  canoe  in 
which  the  Hurons  came." 

"  Where  did  it  happen  ?" 

"At  the  beginning  of  a  river  that  leads  to  the 
wide  waters  lying  towards  the  rising  sun." 

"What  know  you  of  these  wide  waters? 
Have  you  been  to  them  ?" 

"  Shortly  before  the  coming  of  darkness  were 
we  there,  and  we  turned  back  to  bring  news  of 
the  war-party  that  we  saw." 

"Hurons?" 

"  Hurons,  my  father,  and  like  the  leaves  of  a 
tree  for  numbers.  Also  they  have  with  them 
an  Oki  to  make  timid  the  hearts  of  their  enemies." 


THE    COMING    OF    SACANDAGA  119 

"What  mean  you  by  an  Oki  ?" 

With  this  Nahma  described  as  well  as  he  could 
the  strange  being  seen  by  himself  and  the  Beaver, 
and  all  who  could  get  within  hearing  listened  to 
his  words  with  breathless  attention.  When 
Nahma  declared  that  the  apparition,  though 
seen  on  a  headland,  still  gleamed  with  wet 
ness  as  though  just  emerged  from  the  lake, 
his  auditors  were  deeply  impressed.  Only  Sa- 
candaga  was  incredulous,  and  appeared  to  treat 
the  incident  as  of  small  account. 

"It  is  but  a  Huron  trick!"  he  exclaimed,  that 
all  might  hear.  "They  are  too  cowardly  to  fight 
like  men,  but  have  prepared  an  image  with 
the  hope  that  sight  of  it  will  turn  our  blood  to 
water.  It  is  well,  though,  that  we  have  learned 
of  this  thing  and  know  what  to  expect.  Now  let 
us  find  whether  the  Beaver  is  alive  or  dead,  and 
if  the  Huron  dogs  have  indeed  slain  him,  bitterly 
shall  he  be  avenged  before  we  are  done  with 
them." 

So  Nahma  guided  the  Iroquois  canoes  to  the 
place  where  he  had  uttered  that  first  fateful  call 
of  the  whippoorwill,  and  Sacandaga,  with  half  a 


120  THE    BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

dozen  warriors,  made  a  landing  on  the  very  log 
beside  which  he  had  lain. 

It  took  them  but  a  few  minutes  to  discover  the 
body  of  their  late  comrade  cold  in  death  and 
scalped  ;  but  there  was  no  trace  of  those  who 
had  perpetrated  the  deed.  If  he  had  indeed 
killed  one  of  them,  the  others  had  either  hidden 
the  body  or  taken  it  away. 

Having  learned  these  things  and  thirsting  for 
vengeance,  the  Iroquois  re-entered  their  canoes 
and  glided  silently  down-stream  towards  the 
place  where  their  enemies  were  encamped. 


CHAPTER    XII 

A    MEETING    OF    DEADLY    FOES 

AFTER  carrying  their  canoes  around  the  two 
waterfalls  that  obstruct  the  outlet  of  Lake 
George,  the  Iroquois  finally  glided  like  so  many 
night-shadows  out  onto  the  surface  of  Lake 
Champlain.  Then,  guided  by  the  son  of  Long- 
feather,  they  approached  the  place  where  he  had 
seen  the  Hurons.  Sacandaga  had  entered  the 
canoe  of  the  young  scout  that  he  might  learn 
more  fully  what  had  happened  during  the  past 
two  days  ;  also  his  place  was  in  the  leading 
canoe,  that  from  it  he  might  direct  the  move 
ments  of  his  followers,  who  were  now  nearly 
two  hundred  in  number. 

He  had  thought  of  attempting  a  night  surprise 
of  the  northern  invaders  by  attacking  their  camp 
under  cover  of  darkness  ;  but  this  plan  was  dis 
missed  almost  as  soon  as  formed,  for  he  remem 
bered  the  prophecy  of  Kaweras.  The  fight  in 
which  the  Iroquois  were  to  be  successful  must 


122  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

take  place  in  broad  daylight  and  on  a  fair  morn 
ing.  The  battle  might  not,  therefore,  be  waged 
at  night,  nor  even  on  the  morrow,  unless  it  were  a 
day  of  cloudless  sunshine.  At  the  same  time 
the  Hurons  must  be  given  no  chance  for  escape, 
and  to  compel  them  to  remain  where  they  were 
he  stationed  his  force  at  the  mouth  of  the  cove 
in  which  lay  their  fleet.  This  position  was  taken 
in  silence  and,  it  was  thought,  without  attracting 
attention. 

That  the  men  from  the  north  had,  however, 
received  notice  of  their  enemies'  coming  and 
were  keenly  on  the  alert  to  meet  them  was 
soon  proved  by  a  jeering  hail  from  the  land. 

"  Are  the  bark-eaters  fish  that  they  remain  in 
the  water  ?  If  they  call  themselves  men,  why  do 
they  not  come  on  shore  and  accept  the  welcome 
awaiting  them  ?" 

To  this  taunt  the  Iroquois  replied  with  a  chorus 
of  fierce  yells  and  savage  intimations  of  what 
would  happen  when  they  got  ready  to  enter  the 
camp  of  the  Huron  dogs. 

So  the  night  was  spent  in  a  brisk  exchange 
of  taunts,  jeers,  threats,  and  insulting  remarks 


A    MEETING    OF    DEADLY    FOES  123 

well  calculated  to  increase  the  bitterness  of  the 
hate  already  existing  between  the  two  tribes. 
The  Iroquois  even  betrayed  their  knowledge  of 
the  mysterious  being  whom  the  Hurons  had 
called  to  their  aid,  and  expressed  the  utmost 
contempt  for  him.  To  this  those  on  shore  made 
no  reply  except  to  advise  the  Iroquois  to  call 
upon  their  own  gods  for  the  aid  they  would 
surely  need  on  the  morrow. 

''Something  has  given  them  courage,"  re 
marked  Sacandaga,  "  for  never  have  I  known 
Hurons  to  talk  so  bravely  in  the  presence  of 
Iroquois.  But  we  will  see  whether  their  boldness 
can  stand  the  test  of  daylight." 

At  length  the  wished-for  dawn  arrived,  and  by 
its  earliest  gleams  Sacandaga  landed  his  force  at 
a  point  beyond  arrow-shot  of  the  Huron  camp 
and  bade  them  light  fires  for  the  preparation  of 
breakfast.  He  was  well  aware  of  the  fighting 
value  of  a  full  stomach,  and  was  too  wise  a 
leader  not  to  seek  every  possible  advantage 
even  against  a  foe  whom  he  despised. 

Nor  were  the  Hurons  less  ready  to  make  the 
most  of  this  opportunity  for  preparing  cooked 


i24  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

food,  the  first  time  they  had  dared  do  so  in  sev 
eral  days.  Thus  both  parties  remained  hidden 
from  each  other,  except  through  the  eyes  of  their 
watchful  scouts,  until  the  sun  was  an  hour  high. 
Not  only  did  Sacandaga  wish  to  refresh  his  men 
by  this  rest,  but  he  was  determined  not  to  begin 
fighting  until  assured  of  conditions  propitious  to 
his  undertaking.  With  the  weather,  however,  he 
had  every  reason  to  be  pleased,  for  never  was  a 
fairer  morn.  The  sky  was  cloudless,  the  air 
clear  and  crisp,  the  lake  of  a  heavenly  blue,  and 
all  nature  was  at  its  best.  As  he  looked  about 
him  he  became  elated  over  the  certainty  of  his 
forthcoming  victory. 

"The  Hurons  have  never  yet  been  able  to 
stand  before  an  equal  number  of  Iroquois,"  he 
said,  "and  to-day  with  all  things  in  our  favor  it 
will  be  strange  indeed  if  we  do  not  wipe  them 
out.  But  we  may  not  delay,  lest  the  spirits  be 
come  angry  and  send  their  lightnings  to  punish 
our  indifference  to  the  favors  they  have  shown. 
Let  us,  then,  get  to  work  and  finish  this  business 
quickly,  that  we  may  the  more  speedily  return  to 
our  own  people." 


A   MEETING   OF    DEADLY    FOES  125 

Although  Sacandaga  was  one  of  the  most  skil 
ful  warriors  of  his  time,  and  well  versed  in  all 
the  tricks  of  his  trade  as  practised  by  forest 
fighters,  he  saw  fit  in  the  present  instance  to 
lead  his  painted  savages  to  the  attack  in  a 
compact  body.  As  the  Hurons  occupied  the 
centre  of  a  large  cleared  space  so  wide  as  to 
place  them  beyond  the  reach  of  arrows  from 
forest  covers,  this  plan  was  in  a  measure  forced 
upon  him.  At  the  same  time  he  hoped  to  over 
awe  the  enemy  and  terrify  him  by  the  number 
and  ferocious  appearance  of  his  followers.  So 
the  Iroquois,  half  naked,  painted,  befeathered, 
decked  with  bears'  claws  and  wolf-tails,  dashed 
from  the  forest  yelling  and  brandishing  their 
weapons,  and  advanced  with  a  rush  to  where 
the  Hurons  awaited  them. 

The  latter  appeared  terrified,  and  seemed  to 
shrink  from  the  impending  onslaught.  Then 
their  solid  formation  broke,  leaving  a  wide  gap, 
from  which  stepped  a  single  figure.  The  Iro 
quois  were  not  more  than  fifty  paces  distant ; 
but  at  sight  of  this  apparition  they  came  to  a 
sudden  halt  and  stood  as  though  petrified  with 


J26  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

amazement.  The  figure  confronting  them  was 
indeed  that  described  by  Massasoit,  only  it 
loomed  up  larger  than  they  had  expected,  and 
gleamed  with  a  dazzling  lustre  in  the  bright 
sunlight.  It  had  the  form  of  a  man,  but  its 
face  was  covered  with  a  growth  of  hair  that 
hung  down  on  its  breast. 

The  person  who  appeared  so  remarkable  to 
the  denizens  of  the  forest  that  they  deemed  him 
a  god  was  none  other  than  the  intrepid  French 
explorer  Samuel  de  Champlain,  founder  of  the 
city  of  Quebec.  With  but  two  followers  he  had 
been  induced  to  accompany  a  war-party  of  Cana 
dian  Indians  on  their  foray  into  Iroquois  territory, 
and  was  thus  the  first  of  his  race  to  look  upon 
the  waters  of  the  noble  lake  that  has  ever  since 
borne  his  name. 

For  a  few  moments  the  Iroquois  gazed  awe- 
stricken  upon  this  first  white  man  they  had  ever 
seen.  Then,  relying  upon  the  prophecy  of  Ka- 
weras,  that  only  thunder  and  lightning  could  pre 
vent  them  from  winning  a  victory,  they  bent  their 
bows  and  let  fly  a  cloud  of  arrows.  Many  of 
these  were  aimed  at  the  white  man  standing  so 


A    MEETING    OF    DEADLY    FOES  127 

boldly  before  them,  but,  to  their  dismay,  he  re 
mained  unharmed.  Nahma  in  particular,  who 
had  shot  at  the  very  centre  of  the  shining  breast 
plate,  was  amazed  and  terrified  to  see  his  arrow, 
after  striking,  bound  back  as  though  it  had  en 
countered  a  wall  of  rock. 

But  scant  time  was  given  for  the  consideration 
of  this  marvel  ;  for,  even  as  they  shot  at  him,  the 
mysterious  being  brought  into  position  a  strange- 
looking  stick  that  he  carried  until  it  was  pointed 
directly  at  them.  Then  came  a  flash  of  lightning, 
a  roar  of  thunder,  a  cloud  of  smoke,  and  a  dozen 
of  the  Iroquois  fell  to  the  ground  as  though  smit 
ten  by  the  wrath  of  God.  As  was  afterwards 
proved,  but  two  of  them  were  killed  and  one — 
Sacandaga — was  grievously  wounded,  while  the 
others  had  fallen  from  sheer  fright.  At  the  same 
time  the  Hurons  rushed  forward  with  triumphant 
yells  and  a  flight  of  arrows. 

For  a  moment  the  Iroquois  wavered  and 
seemed  about  to  fly.  Then  Nahma,  son  of 
Longfeather,  sprang  to  the  front  with  a  loud 
cry,  and,  swinging  a  stone  war-club  above  his 
head,  made  straight  for  the  thunder-god  who  had 


128  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

wrought  such  havoc.  Champlain  was  in  the  act 
of  drawing  his  sword  when  he  was  staggered  by 
a  terrific  blow  that  would  surely  have  killed  him 
but  for  the  steel  cap  that  he  wore.  Before  he 
could  recover,  and  ere  a  second  blow  could  be 
delivered,  there  came  another  flash  of  lightning 
accompanied  by  its  thunderous  roar  from  a  clump 
of  bushes  at  one  side,  and  two  more  Iroquois 
were  stricken  with  sudden  death. 

At  this  fresh  proof  that  the  all-powerful  spirits 
were  indeed  fighting  against  them  the  hearts  of 
the  Iroquois  melted,  and  they  fled  from  the 
field  a  panic-stricken  mob.  Even  Nahma  joined 
in  the  mad  flight ;  but  he  paused  long  enough 
to  pick  up  his  wounded  chieftain,  whom  he  hoped 
to  be  able  to  carry  as  far  as  the  canoes. 

At  their  heels  streamed  the  exultant  Hurons, 
striking  down  the  fugitives  by  the  score.  One 
of  these  drove  a  spear  through  the  body  of 
Sacandaga ;  and  Nahma,  staggering  under  his 
burden,  was  knocked  down  by  the  force  of  the 
blow.  As  he  disengaged  himself  from  the  dead 
sachem  and  regained  his  feet  he  found  himself 
once  more  face  to  face  with  the  awful  being  who 


NAHMA   SPRANG    UPON    THE    WHITE    MAN    WITH    UPLIFTED    KNIFE 


A    MEETING    OF    DEADLY    FOES  129 

held  in  his  hands  the  thunders  and  lightning  of 
a  Manitou. 

At  this  moment  Champlain,  who  had  found 
time  to  reload  his  musket,  fired  a  second  shot 
into  the  ranks  of  the  flying  Iroquois.  Ere  its 
smoke  could  lift,  Nahma,  frenzied  with  rage  and 
reckless  of  consequences,  sprang  upon  the  white 
man  with  uplifted  knife.  The  blow  was  urged 
with  all  the  splendid  strength  of  the  young 
warrior's  arm,  but  it  only  bent  the  copper  blade 
in  his  grasp  and  left  him  defenceless.  Ere  he 
could  renew  his  flight  he  was  flung  to  the  earth 
and  bound  immovably  with  thongs  of  tough  bark. 

Nahma' s  first  battle  was  ended  in  utter  defeat, 
but  he  did  not  feel  humiliated,  for  he  believed 
that  he  had  fought  against  immortal  spirits  who 
could  come  to  no  harm  from  the  hands  of  man. 
He  only  wondered  vaguely,  as  he  lay  awaiting  the 
pleasure  of  his  captors,  why  the  Okis  should  have 
ranged  themselves  on  the  side  of  the  perfidious 
Hurons  instead  of  aiding  the  Iroquois,  whom  he 
then  believed  to  be  the  most  nearly  perfect  of 
human  beings. 

About  one-half  the  force  that  Sacandaga  had 


1 3o  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

led  so  confidently  to  battle  that  morning  reached 
the  canoes  and  continued  their  flight  up  the  lake. 
The  Hurons  did  not  pursue  them,  for  they  were 
too  busy  killing  or  taking  captive  those  who  were 
left  behind. 

By  noon  the  whole  affair  was  ended,  and  the 
triumphant  Hurons,  taking  with  them  twoscore 
of  dejected  prisoners,  as  many  bloody  Iroquois 
.scalps,  and  a  number  of  canoes  laden  with  spoils, 
set  forth  on  their  return  to  the  St.  Lawrence. 

With  them  went  Champlain,  still  thrilled  with 
the  excitement  of  fighting  and  killing,  but  already 
disgusted  with  the  barbarities  of  his  savage  allies. 
Could  he  have  foreseen  that  his  act  of  that  day 
had  created  a  powerful  enemy  who  for  two  hun 
dred  years  to  come  would  let  pass  no  opportunity 
for  the  killing  of  a  Frenchman,  his  thoughts  would 
have  been  still  more  sombre. 

In  camp  that  night,  while  still  occupied  with  his 
melancholy  reflections,  he  was  accosted  by  one  of 
his  white  companions,  who  said, — 

"  Look  yonder,  monsieur.  They  are  about  to 
punish  in  pretty  fashion  the  young  devil  who 
twice  this  day  attempted  to  take  thy  life." 


CHAPTER    XIII 

TO    THE    LODGES    OF    THE    WHITE    MAN 

REALIZING  that  for  some  reason  the  all-power 
ful  white  man  who  had  that  day  given  them  a 
victory  over  their  enemies  was  displeased,  the 
Hurons  agreed  after  a  long  consultation  that  it 
must  be  because  the  only  one  among  the  Iroquois 
who  had  dared  attack  him  was  still  allowed  to  live. 
So,  although  such  pleasures  were  generally  re 
served  for  their  home-returning,  they  determined 
to  sacrifice  the  audacious  young  warrior  on  the 
spot  with  the  hope  of  thus  regaining  the  favor  of 
their  allies.  In  order  that  he  might  thoroughly 
comprehend  what  was  in  store  for  him,  they  de 
cided  that  he  should  first  witness  the  torture  of 
one  of  his  companions.  For  this  purpose  a  victim 
was  selected  at  random  from  among  the  captives, 
and  the  two  young  men,  facing  each  other,  were 
securely  bound  to  saplings  standing  but  a  few 
yards  apart. 


132  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

About  the  feet  of  each  was  piled  a  quantity 
of  dry  wood,  and  they  were  ordered  to  chant 
their  death-songs  if  they  dared.  The  Maqua 
immediately  began  in  defiant  tones  to  recount 
his  own  deeds  of  prowess  on  the  war-path,  and 
tell  how  many  Hurons  he  had  slain.  He  hurled 
defiance  at  his  enemies,  taunted  them  with  their 
cowardice,  and  sought  to  so  enrage  them  that 
they  would  kill  him  at  once ;  but  Nahma  re 
mained  dumb.  He  had  no  deeds  to  tell  of,  nor 
was  he  in  a  humor  to  invent  any. 

Suddenly  the  Hurons  made  a  rush  at  the  one 
who  thus  defied  them,  and  for  a  few  minutes  a 
fierce  struggle  raged  about  the  helpless  form. 
When  next  it  appeared  in  view  its  scalp  had 
been  torn  off,  while  the  still  living  body  was 
gashed  and  mutilated  almost  beyond  recognition  ; 
but  defiant  words  still  issued  chokingly  from  its 
trembling  lips.  The  poor  mortal  frame  was 
nearly  spent,  but  its  brave  spirit  was  undaunted. 
The  next  act  of  torture  was  by  fire.  Blazing 
splinters  of  fat  pine  were  thrust  into  the  mangled 
body  and  hot  ashes  were  poured  on  its  bleeding 
head.  Then  a  light  was  applied  to  the  dry  wood, 


TO    THE   LODGES    OF   THE    WHITE    MAN     133 

and  in  another  minute  the  eager  flames  were 
leaping  high  about  their  victim. 

The  awful  tragedy  was  accompanied  by  shrieks 
of  laughter,  mocking  yells,  and  a  frantic  dancing 
about  the  two  young  warriors,  one  of  whom  was 
thus  made  to  serve  as  a  hideous  object  lesson  to 
the  other.  When  the  first  was  so  nearly  dead  that 
his  defiant  utterances  were  reduced  to  mere  gasp- 
ings  for  breath,  the  dancing  demons  turned  their 
attention  to  the  second  victim,  and  prepared  to 
inflict  upon  him  a  series  of  still  more  devilish 
torments. 

Nahma  had  witnessed  everything  with  fasci 
nated  gaze  ;  but  though  sickened  to  the  point 
of  fainting,  had  made  no  movement  nor  uttered 
a  sound  to  betray  the  agony  of  his  thoughts. 
He  now  knew  what  to  expect,  and  was  nerving 
himself  to  endure  to  the  end,  as  became  a  war 
rior.  Aeana  would  never  know,  of  course  ;  but 
if  by  any  chance  the  story  of  his  last  hour  should 
reach  her  ear,  she  must  have  no  excuse  to  call 
him  "  squaw." 

One  of  his  tormentors  approached  with  a  bar 
of  iron  heated  until  it  glowed ;  for,  through 


i34  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

trading  with  the  French,  this  metal  was  now 
known  to  the  Indians  of  the  St.  Lawrence  valley. 

"  Put  out  his  eyes,"  shouted  a  spectator.  "  He 
has  seen  enough." 

As  the  glowing  iron  approached  his  face  Nahma 
instinctively  closed  his  eyes  ;  but  a  yell  of  derision 
from  those  near  enough  to  note  the  movement 
caused  him  to  open  them  again  quickly.  But 
even  in  that  brief  space  something  had  hap 
pened,  for  the  first  thing  on  which  they  rested 
was  a  gigantic  figure  bounding  towards  him.  It 
uttered  inarticulate  cries  of  rage  and  brandished  a 
weapon.  With  a  single  blow  from  this  it  dashed 
to  earth  the  man  bearing  the  red-hot  iron.  Falling 
on  his  own  instrument  of  torture,  the  wretch 
uttered  a  yell  of  pain  as  it  seared  his  flesh. 
At  the  same  moment  the  terrible  new-comer 
levelled  his  weapon  at  the  mutilated  form  bound 
to  the  opposite  stake,  and  with  a  flash  of  light 
ning  accompanied  by  a  stunning  burst  of  thunder, 
instantly  freed  the  tortured  spirit  from 'its  misery. 

Before  the  smoke  of  the  discharge  cleared 
away  the  new-comer  was  beside  Nahma,  cutting 
savagely  at  his  bonds.  As  the  last  one  dropped 


TO    THE   LODGES    OF   THE   WHITE    MAN     135 

he  grasped  the  young  warrior  by  an  arm  and  led 
him  a  few  paces  from  the  cruel  stake.  Then 
turning  to  the  sullen  Hurons,  who  shrank  from 
the  indignant  blaze  of  his  eyes,  he  denounced 
them  in  bitter  terms. 

"  You  are  worse  than  wolves,"  he  cried.  "  You 
are  scum  and  canaille.  You  are  devils,  and  should 
be  made  to  dwell  forever  in  a  pit  of  fire.  Because 
you  go  forth  to  fight  against  a  man  and  he  meets 
you  bravely,  is  that  a  reason  for  torturing  him 
when  the  fortune  of  war  has  placed  him  helpless 
in  your  hands  ?  This  youth  was  the  only  one  of 
all  his  people  who  dared  attack  me  face  to  face 
and  hand  to  hand.  Better  still,  he  was  the  only 
Iroquois  brave  enough  to  attempt  the  succor  of 
their  wounded  chieftain.  He  is  fleet  of  foot  and 
might  easily  have  escaped,  but  he  would  not  go 
alone.  So  he  fell  into  your  inhuman  hands,  and 
as  a  reward  for  his  bravery  you  propose  to  torture 
him  to  death.  Bah  !  You  make  me  so  sick  that 
I  have  a  mind  to  sever  all  connection  with  you 
from  this  hour,  and  order  my  men  to  beat  you 
from  my  sight  with  sticks.  Now  remember  that 
this  youth  is  my  captive,  and  whoever  touches  so 


136  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

much  as  a  hair  of  his  head  shall  die,  for  I  will  not 
have  him  harmed. 

"Come,  lad,  with  me,"  added  Champlain,  turn 
ing  to  Nahma  ;  "you  shall  eat  and  rest,  and  after 
that  if  you  desire  to  return  to  your  own  people 
you  shall  be  free  to  do  so.  Only  it  would  please 
me  to  have  you  remain  a  little  for  instruction  in 
the  ways  of  white  men  and  the  making  of  a 
better  acquaintance  between  us,  for  I  have  taken 
a  fancy  to  you  beyond  any  that  I  have  yet  enter 
tained  for  a  native  of  this  wilderness." 

Although  Nahma  understood  no  word  of  what 
the  marvellous  stranger  said,  he  recognized  the 
friendly  tone  and  gesture,  and  was  quite  willing  to 
follow  wherever  the  other  might  lead.  As  they 
were  about  to  move  away  a  chief  of  the  Hurons 
stood  in  the  path  and  begged  for  a  hearing. 

"It  is  true,"  he  said,  "that  we  would  have 
killed  this  young  man  ;  but  it  is  because  we 
thought  our  white  father  angry  that  he  still  lived. 
Also  is  it  true  that  in  any  case  we  should  have 
put  him  to  death  on  reaching  the  place  of  our 
own  people.  We  must  have  done  this,  for  if  we 
should  let  him  live  he  would  sooner  or  later  make 


TO    THE   LODGES    OF   THE    WHITE   MAN      '37 

an  escape,  and  in  escaping  would  surely  kill  some 
of  our  people.  It  is  because  he  is  a  brave  warrior 
that  we  could  not  let  him  live  to  do  us  mischief. 
If  he  were  a  coward,  then  could  we  make  of  him 
a  slave  to  hoe  corn  with  the  squaws  ;  but  with  a 
brave  man  this  might  not  be  done.  Also  because 
of  his  bravery  would  we  have  tested  him  by  fire, 
that  he  might  give  proof  of  his  courage  to  the 
very  end  of  his  life.  Any  brave  man,  Huron  or 
Iroquois,  would  rather  perish  at  the  stake  than 
live  the  life  of  a  slave.  It  is  our  way,  and  if  it 
be  not  also  the  way  of  our  white  father,  let  him 
not  cover  us  with  shame  on  account  of  it,  for  we 
have  not  yet  learned  one  that  is  better." 

"  You  have  spoken  well,"  answered  Champlain, 
"  and  already  am  I  penitent  for  my  hasty  words, 
since,  as  you  say,  you  were  only  acting  according 
to  your  conception  of  what  is  right.  Therefore  I 
forgive  you  and  will  continue  to  extend  the  hand 
of  friendship.  At  the  same  time,  see  you  to  it  that 
no  more  atrocities  are  enacted  in  my  presence. 
Also  see  to  it  that  this  youth  is  accorded  the 
respect  due  him  over  whom  my  protection  is 
extended." 


138  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  Nahma,  son  of  Long- 
feather,  now  known  as  Massasoit  the  Iroquois, 
was  saved  from  a  dreadful  death  to  become  the 
companion  of  the  first  white  man  he  had  ever 
met,  who  was  also  one  of  the  foremost  adven 
turers  of  his  age. 

Although  Champlain  had  laid  aside  his  steel 
armor,  he  was  still  so  utterly  different  in  appear 
ance  from  any  person  Nahma  had  ever  seen  that 
the  latter  continued  to  regard  him  as  a  supernat 
ural  being,  and  accompanied  him  with  much  trep 
idation.  Also  the  youth  was  dazed  by  the  peril 
he  had  just  escaped  and  the  strangeness  of  his 
deliverance. 

As  they  went  towards  Champlain 's  own  camp- 
fire,  Nahma  noticed  for  the  first  time  that  two 
more  of  the  strange  beings  walked  close  beside 
them  ;  and,  listening  to  their  conversation,  though 
of  course  without  understanding  it,  he  all  at  once 
became  convinced  that  they  were  indeed  human 
like  himself.  Moreover,  it  flashed  into  his  mind 
that  they  must  be  of  that  white  race  concerning 
which  he  had  heard  much  talk  in  the  lodge  of 
Kaweras.  By  that  shrewd  Indian  the  apparently 


TO    THE    LODGES   OF    THE    WHITE   MAN     139 

meaningless  words  repeated  by  Nahma  during 
his  illness  had  been  conjectured  to  belong  to  the 
vocabulary  of  white  men,  and  he  had  said  as 
much  to  his  young  guest.  Thinking  of  these 
things  and  acting  upon  a  sudden  impulse,  just 
as  they  reached  Champlain's  separate  camp 
Nahma  exclaimed, — 

"  Hillo  !" 

The  three  white  men  stared  at  him  in  amaze 
ment. 

"  Sacre  !"  added  the  young  warrior. 

"What  have  we  here?"  cried  Champlain.  "  A 
savage  from  the  interior  wilderness  speaking  both 
English  and  French.  It  is  incredible. — My  young 
friend,  who  taught  you  the  tongues  of  the  Old 
World  ?  Where  have  you  met  white  men  ?" 

"Mass,  I  saw  it,"  remarked  Nahma.  He  was 
well  pleased  at  the  effect  of  the  words  already 
used,  but  looked  for  a  still  greater  exhibition  of 

o 

amazement  on  the  part  of  his  hearers  at  this 
final  utterance.  To  his  disappointment,  they  only 
gazed  blankly  and  evidently  without  understand 
ing. 

"  That  is  evidently  a  native  word,  and  must  be 


140  THE    BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

his  own  name,"  said  Champlain.  "  Massasoit. 
It  hath  a  pleasing  sound  and  fits  well  his  aspect. 
Not  only  has  he  proved  himself  to  be  braver 
than  any  of  his  fellows,  but  he  hath  a  look  of 
superior  intelligence.  For  these  things  I  had 
thought  to  afford  him  opportunity  of  escaping 
during  the  night,  and  so  of  making  his  way  back 
to  his  own  people.  Now,  however,  he  has  so 
aroused  my  interest  and  curiosity  with  his  fluency 
in  foreign  tongues  that  I  cannot  afford  to  loose 
him  until  we  are  better  acquainted.  See  to  it, 
therefore,  that  he  does  not  escape." 

Thus  Nahma,  who  if  he  had  held  his  tongue 
would  have  been  set  free,  was  still  retained  as  a 
captive  and  borne  northward  by  the  victorious 
Hurons.  The  journey  down  the  lake,  through 
the  rapid  Richelieu,  and  over  the  broad  flood 
of  the  mighty  St.  Lawrence  was  full  of  interest 
and  novel  sensations  to  our  lad.  None  of  them 
was,  however,  to  be  compared  with  the  wonder 
and  amazement  that  filled  his  soul  on  the  evening 
of  the  tenth  day  of  travel,  when  they  came  to 
Quebec,  and  he  gazed  for  the  first  time  on  the 
lodges  of  white  men. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

TWO    INMATES    OF    A    GUARD-HOUSE 

SAMUEL  DE   CHAMPLAIN  was  one  of  the  most 
daring  and  persistent  of   explorers  in  the  New 
World.     Before  coming    of   age   he  visited    the 
West     Indies     and     Mexico,     going     down    the 
Pacific    coast    of    the    latter    country    as    far   as 
Panama.     Then   as  he  crossed   the    isthmus   he 
conceived   the    idea,   which   he  afterwards   made 
public,  of  a  ship  canal  that  should  connect  the 
two  oceans.     His  next  voyage,  inspired  by  the 
published   narrative   of   Jacques   Cartier,    carried 
him  into  the  St.  Lawrence  and  up  that  mighty 
river  as  far  as  Hochelaga  (Montreal),  which  point 
Cartier  had  also  reached  nearly  seventy  years 

earlier. 

Champlain  subsequently  explored  the  coasts  of 
Canada  and  New  England,  helped  to  found  the 
unfortunate  settlements  of  St.  Croix  and  Port 
Royal,  and  sailed  to  the  southward  as  far  as  Cape 
Cod.  On  his  way  he  stopped  in  Boston  harbor, 


M2  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

which  he  describes  as  being  filled  with  heavily 
wooded  islands.  He  also  discovered  the  Charles 
River,  and  named  it  Riviere  du  Guast.  On  the 
following  day  he  took  refuge  from  a  gale  in 
Plymouth  harbor,  which  he  named  Port  St.  Louis, 
and  which  he  thus  visited  long  before  the  Pilgrims 
landed  on  its  shores. 

After  spending  some  years  on  the  coast  and 
crossing  the  Atlantic  several  times,  the  energetic 
Frenchman  again  entered  the  St.  Lawrence  and 
sailed  as  far  as  Stadaconie,  where  Cartier  first  and 
after  him  Roberval  had  planted  ill-starred  and 
short-lived  settlements.  At  this  point  Champlain 
determined  to  establish  a  base  from  which  to  ex 
plore  the  vast  regions  that,  hidden  in  savage  mys 
tery,  stretched  away  indefinitely  on  all  sides.  It 
should  also  be  head-quarters  for  the  greatest  fur 
trade  the  world  had  ever  known,  and  for  the  re 
ligious  institutions  from  which  he  hoped  to  spread 
Christianity  among  the  heathen. 

Here,  then,  on  a  narrow  strand  at  the  foot  of 
towering  cliffs,  he  set  his  men  to  work,  and  before 
the  summer  was  ended  they  had  erected  three 
spacious  buildings,  enclosed  them  within  a  stout 


TWO    INMATES   OF   A   GUARD-HOUSE       143 

palisade,  planted  defensive  batteries,  dug  a  moat 
around  the  whole,  cleared  land  for  a  garden,  and 
opened  up  a  trade  with  the  neighboring  In 
dians.  Thus  was  begun  a  city  destined  to  be 
come  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  New 
World,  and  to  it  Champlain  gave  the  name  of 
Quebec,  which  was  his  pronunciation  of  a  native 
word  signifying  a  narrowing  of  the  river. 

In  Quebec,  twenty-seven  years  later,  the  great 
Frenchman  died,  leaving  behind  him  a  record 
of  adventure  and  achievement  such  as  but  few 
others  could  show.  He  had  succeeded  where 
many  had  failed,  and  had  established  an  empire 
in  the  New  World.  He  had  crossed  the  ocean 
more  than  a  score  of  times  to  make  himself 
equally  welcome  in  the  court  circles  of  France 
and  beside  the  council-fires  of  Huron  war 
riors.  He  had  explored  the  Ottawa  to  its 
head-waters,  crossed  the  divide  to  Lake  Nipis- 
sing,  descended  to  Georgian  Bay,  and  was  the 
first  white  man  to  gaze  upon  the  inland  sea  that 
he  named  Lake  Huron.  He  next  discovered 
Lake  Ontario,  crossed  it  in  a  bark  canoe,  and 
penetrated  the  Iroquois  country  as  far  as  the  site 


144  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

of  Syracuse.  In  the  beautiful  lake  that  bears 
his  name  he  has  an  enduring  monument.  He 
started  on  the  journey  that  ended  on  Lake 
Champlain  with  the  hope,  then  common  to  all 
explorers,  of  discovering  a  western  passage  to 
China,  and  only  failed  because  he  could  not  find 
what  did  not  exist.  Instead  of  it,  he  discovered, 
saved  from  an  awful  death,  and  carried  to  Quebec 
the  youth  who  was  to  become  known  to  the  world 
as  Massasoit,  chief  of  the  Wampanoags. 

Champlain  had  long  been  looking  for  some 
young  Indian  of  intelligence  and  proved  courage 
whom  he  might  teach  to  speak  his  own  language, 
attach  to  his  person,  and  employ  to  advantage  in 
his  proposed  explorations.  In  Nahma  he  believed 
he  had  found  all  the  desired  qualities,  and,  what 
was  still  better,  the  youth,  being  an  Iroquois, 
would  never  join  any  Huron  conspiracy  against 
the  French.  The  shrewd  adventurer  was  there 
fore  greatly  pleased  with  his  prize  and  impatient 
to  begin  his  training.  At  the  same  time  he  found 
his  Huron  allies  so  jealous  of  his  liking  for  an 
Iroquois,  that  while  he  remained  in  their  company 
he  dared  not  treat  his  captive  with  any  marked 


TWO    INMATES    OF   A   GUARD-HOUSE       145 

attention.  He  saw  that  Nahma  was  provided 
with  food,  and  would  not  permit  him  to  be 
beaten  or  abused,  as  were  some  of  the  pris 
oners,  but  that  was  all.  He  dared  not  even 
have  the  youth  in  his  own  canoe,  much  as  he 
wished  to  gain  his  confidence.  Thus,  Nahma 
saw  but  little  of  his  white  companions  on  the 
weary  journey  that  finally  ended  at  Quebec. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Richelieu  the  victorious 
war-party  disbanded,  the  larger  number,  together 
with  most  of  the  prisoners,  going  up  the  St.  Law 
rence  towards  their  homes  on  the  Ottawa,  and 
only  half  a  dozen  canoes  of  Montagnais,  who 
dwelt  on  the  Saguenay,  followed  Champlain  down 
the  great  river.  As  these  came  within  sight  of 
Quebec  they  raised  a  triumphant  war-song  and 
plied  their  paddles  with  redoubled  energy,  while 
Champlain  and  the  other  white  men  discharged 
their  muskets  in  token  of  victory.  This  was  the 
first  news  of  their  absent  leader  received  by  the 
anxious  garrison  since  his  departure,  and  in  their 
joy  over  his  safe  return  they  gave  him  a  thun 
derous  welcome  from  their  cannon. 

Not  only  did  this  dreadful  sound  nearly  para- 

10 


146  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

lyze  poor  Nahma,  but  it  so  terrified  a  small  party 
of  Indians  who  were  trading  within  the  fort  that 
they  rushed  from  it  in  dismay,  took  to  their 
canoes,  and  paddled  off  with  all  speed.  So 
precipitate  was  their  flight  that  they  left  behind 
one  of  their  number,  who  in  his  terror  had 
leaped  from  a  second-story  window  of  the  trad 
ing  house  and  broken  a  leg. 

Champlain  had  left  his  infant  colony  in  charge 
of  Pierre  Chauvin,  a  smart  young  officer,  who 
now  met  him  outside  the  palisades  with  tidings 
that  caused  an  instant  change  of  plan.  The  only 
ship  that  would  return  to  France  that  year  had 
dropped  down  to  Tadousac  for  a  lading  of  furs 
but  two  days  earlier.  For  a  moment  Champlain 
hesitated,  and  then  his  mind  was  made  up.  He 
must  board  that  ship  before  she  sailed,  for  he  had 
despatches  of  the  utmost  importance  to  send  home 
by  her.  Thus  he  must  immediately  hasten  to 
Tadousac.  This  decision  he  imparted  to  Chauvin, 
adding, — 

"  I  will  shortly  return,  and  until  then  take  thou 
good  care  of  this  youth."  Here  the  speaker  in 
dicated  Nahma.  "  See  that  he  escape  not,  for  his 


TWO    INMATES    OF    A    GUARD-HOUSE       147 

security  is  of  importance  to  our  cause.  Keep 
him,  then,  safely  until  I  come  again,  when  I  will 
inform  thee  further  concerning  him.  Au  revoir, 
mon  ami.  May  the  saints  protect  thee." 

Thus  saying,  Champlain  rejoined  his  Indian 
allies,  who  were  impatient  to  be  off,  and  in 
another  minute  was  again  sweeping  down  the 
great  river.  By  his  order  Nahma  had  been 
hastily  bundled  ashore,  and  now  stood  gazing 
first  at  the  wonderful  structures  rising  close  at 
hand  and  then  at  the  disappearing  canoes. 
Chauvin  stood  near  by,  biting  his  moustache 
and  growling  at  his  chiefs  sudden  departure. 

"I  wish  I  were  in  his  place,"  he  muttered; 
"  and  if  once  I  could  set  foot  on  shipboard  I  would 
sail  away  never  again  to  revisit  this  detestable 
country.  How  now,  you  spawn  !  What  are  you 
staring  at?"  he  cried,  suddenly  turning  upon 
Nahma,  who  was  looking  curiously  at  him. 

Chauvin  hated  Indians  as  he  did  everything  else 
in  the  'country  that  had  so  bitterly  disappointed 
his  dreams  of  easily  acquired  wealth,  and  he  was 
disgusted  that  one  of  them  should  now  be  left  in 
his  care. 


148  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

"Away  with  him  to  the  guard-house!"  he 
shouted  to  a  couple  of  soldiers  in  attendance, 
"and  keep  him  in  close  confinement  until  the 
governor's  return,  since  that  is  his  Excellency's 
order." 

So  Nahma  was  roughly  hustled  away,  led  inside 
the  palisade,  across  the  enclosed  court,  and  thrust 
into  the  guard-house.  It  was  a  small  structure 
solidly  built  of  logs,  having  a  rude  stone  chimney 
and  a  single  unglazed  window  some  eighteen 
inches  square  that  was  fitted  with  iron  bars  and 
could  be  closed  from  the  outside  by  a  heavy 
shutter.  There  were  also  bars  across  the  throat 
of  the  chimney.  The  floor  was  of  earth  and  the 
room  was  unfurnished.  As  the  massive  door  of 
this  dungeon  swung  to  with  a  crash  behind  him 
the  young  Indian  stood  for  a  moment  motionless. 
Then,  in  a  frenzy  of  rage,  he  dashed  himself 
against  the  immovable  barrier  clutched  at  the 
window-bars  in  a  vain  effort  to  wrench  them 
from  their  fastenings,  and  rushed  about  the 
narrow  space,  seeking  some  outlet,  like  a  wild 
animal  when  first  caged. 

While  our  lad  was  thus  engaged  the  door  of 


TWO    INMATES    OF   A    GUARD-HOUSE       149 

his  prison  was  again  flung  open  and  two  soldiers 
entered.  Still  possessed  by  his  frenzy,  Nahma 
sprang  forward,  determined  to  kill  them  and 
make  good  his  escape  or  die  in  the  attempt ; 
but  the  sight  of  a  burden  that  they  bore  caused 
him  to  pause.  It  was  the  form  of  another  Indian 
youth  apparently  helpless.  Behind  them  came 
others  bringing  straw,  two  blankets,  food,  and  a 
jug  of  water.  With  the  straw  and  blankets  they 
made  a  bed  in  one  corner,  on  which  they  laid  the 
wounded  youth.  Then  without  a  word  to  the 
prisoner  they  departed,  barring  the  door  behind 
them. 

Now  our  lad  had  at  least  something  to  occupy 
his  mind  and  divert  his  thoughts  from  his  own 
unhappiness.  He  saw  that  the  new-comer  was 
neither  a  Huron  nor  an  Iroquois  ;  but  as  he  bent 
over  him  and  began  to  ask  questions  he  dis 
covered  that  they  had  many  words  of  the  wide 
spread  Algonquin  tongue  in  common.  Thus  he 
quickly  learned  that  the  other  was  named  Tas- 
quanto,  that  he  was  of  a  band  of  the  Abenakis 
who  had  come  to  Quebec  to  trade,  and  that,  terri 
fied  by  the  awful  noise  of  cannon,  he  had  leaped 


150  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

from  a  window  and  broken  a  leg.  His  comrades 
having  deserted  him,  he  had  been  brought  to  the 
guard-house  that  the  only  other  Indian  remaining 
in  the  fort  might  wait  upon  him. 

So  Nahma  was  provided  with  an  occupation 
that  probably  prevented  him  from  either  killing 
himself  in  his  despair  or  losing  his  mind.  Thanks 
to  the  teaching  of  Kaweras,  he  was  able  to  set 
and  properly  bandage  Tasquanto's  broken  limb, 
and  for  weeks  thereafter  he  was  his  fellow-pris 
oner's  devoted  attendant. 

In  the  mean  time  the  green  of  summer  was  suc 
ceeded  by  the  gorgeous  tints  of  autumn,  and  its 
short-lived  glory  gave  way  to  the  white  desolation 
of  a  northern  winter ;  but  Champlain  did  not  re 
turn  to  Quebec,  nor  did  any  word  come  from  him. 
At  the  end  of  two  months  Chauvin  sent  mes 
sengers  to  Tadousac  ;  but  they  returned  without 
having  seen  a  living  soul,  white  or  red  ;  and  not 
until  the  weary  winter  was  half  spent  did  the 
garrison  of  that  lonely  fort  learn  what  had 
become  of  the  leader  whom  they  were  mourning 
as  dead. 


CHAPTER    XV 

THE    BITTER    WINTER    OF    CANADA 

THE  Canadian  winter,  that  is  now  a  time  of  so 
much  animation  and  gayety  in  the  city  of  Quebec, 
proved  a  season  of  terror,  starvation,  sickness, 
and  death  to  the  handful  of  Frenchmen  left  by 
Champlain  to  guard  his  infant  settlement.  At 
its  beginning  they  recklessly  squandered  their 
stores,  eating  and  drinking  with  no  thought  of 
the  morrow.  If  Champlain  had  been  with  them 
he  would  have  taught  them  differently,  for  he  had 
already  passed  several  winters  in  the  country 
and  knew  their  bitter  meaning.  But,  lacking  his 
wise  guidance,  they  indulged  in  riotous  living 
until  suddenly  they  came  face  to  face  with  famine. 
The  winter  was  not  more  than  half  spent  when 
this  happened,  and  they  began  to  suffer  from 
hunger. 

Now  that  it  was  too  late  for  any  real  good, 
Chauvin  seized  every  particle  of  food  that  re 
mained,  locked  it  up,  and  doled  it  out  to  his  men 


152  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

in  such  meagre  allowance  as  barely  served  to 
keep  life  in  their  shivering  bodies.  He  also  sent 
them  into  the  woods  to  hunt,  or  to  dig  roots  and 
groundnuts,  with  which  to  help  out  their  scanty 
fare.  He  had  expected  to  be  able  to  purchase 
all  the  provisions  he  needed  from  Indians,  who, 
during  the  summer,  had  brought  game  to  the  fort 
in  abundance,  but  now  not  a  native  was  to  be 
seen  except  a  few  poor  wretches  who  came 
empty-handed  and  as  beggars. 

Unlike  their  brethren  of  the  south,  who  culti 
vated  fields  and  stored  harvests  for  the  winter, 
the  improvident  dwellers  of  that  region  lived 
wholly  by  hunting,  feasting  while  game  was 
plentiful  and  starving  when  it  was  gone. 

In  all  this  time  no  one  within  the  limits  of  that 
wretched  fort  suffered  as  did  the  son  of  Long- 
feather.  From  the  day  that  he  was  thrust  into 
his  prison  he  was  not  allowed '  to  leave  it  for  a 
breath  of  outside  air,  or  a  glimpse  of  the  free 
dom  for  which  his  soul  longed,  until  it  seemed  as 
though  he  would  rather  die  than  remain  within 
those  hated  walls  another  minute. 

And  with  it  all  he  had  no  idea  why  he  was 


THE    BITTER   WINTER    OF    CANADA          153 

thus  confined  or  what  fate  was  in  store  for  him. 
Only,  as  days,  weeks,  and  months  passed,  he 
became  more  and  more  certain  that  he  was  to 
have  no  release  save  only  by  death  itself.  But 
one  thing  kept  him  from  seeking  this  instead  of 
waiting  for  it,  and  that  was  the  friendship  of  the 
young  Indian  who,  wounded  and  helpless,  had 
been  brought  to  him  during  the  first  hour  of  his 
imprisonment.  Tasquanto's  recovery  was  slow, 
and  for  many  weeks  he  depended  upon  Nahma 
for  everything.  It  did  not  take  long  for  these 
two,  drawn  to  each  other  by  the  bonds  of  race 
and  a  common  misfortune,  to  cement  a  friendship, 
and  swear  that  they  would  either  gain  freedom  or 
perish  together. 

Although  they  could  not  plan  an  escape  from 
their  closely  guarded  prison  and  must  wait  for 
chance  to  aid  them,  they  spent  hours  in  discussing 
the  course  to  be  pursued  if  ever  they  got  beyond 
those  hated  walls. 

"  We  must  make  all  haste  to  cross  the  river," 
said  Tasquanto,  "  for  the  Hurons  would  quickly 
kill  us  if  we  remained  on  this  side.  If  it  is  frozen 
that  will  be  easy.  If  not,  we  must  steal  one  of 


i54  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

the  clumsy  boats  of  these  awkward  white  men, 
who  make  everything  bigger  and  heavier  than  is 
needful.  On  the  other  side  we  will  conceal  our 
selves  until  we  can  build  a  canoe,  and  then  we 
will  go  southward.  Beyond  that  I  cannot  see,  for 
if  we  go  to  the  country  of  thy  people,  they  will 
kill  me  ;  while  it  would  be  dangerous  for  thee,  an 
Iroquois,  to  be  found  in  my  country." 

"But  I  am  not  of  the  Iroquois,"  protested 
Nahma. 

"  Not  of  the  Iroquois  !  Who,  then,  are  thy 
people?" 

"  That  I  know  not.  I  was  found  among  the 
Maquas,  who  are  a  tribe  of  the  Iroquois,  sorely 
wounded  and  without  memory  of  aught  that  had 
ever  happened  before  that  time.  Since  then  I 
have  been  an  Iroquois  by  adoption,  but  it  is 
certain  that  I  am  not  one  by  birth." 

This  statement  so  changed  the  aspect  of  affairs 
that  it  was  agreed  they  should  travel  towards  the 
country  of  the  Abenakis  in  case  an  escape  could 
be  effected.  It  also  afforded  a  fruitful  topic  .  of 
speculation,  and  thus  helped  pass  the  weary  hours. 

Finally,   the  time   came  when   Tasquanto  was 


THE    BITTER    WINTER    OF    CANADA          155 

so  fully  recovered  that  he  was  sent  out  to  hunt 
food  for  the  hungry  garrison,  and  during  the 
day  Nahma  was  left  alone,  since  only  at  night 
was  his  companion  allowed  to  rejoin  him.  Chau- 
vin  realized  that  if  both  were  sent  into  the  woods 
they  would  at  once  make  good  their  escape ; 
while,  from  the  friendship  he  had  noted  between 
them,  he  felt  assured  that  Tasquanto  would 
return  to  his  comrade  so  long  as  the  latter  was 
held.  Nor  did  he  dare  allow  Nahma  to  escape 
while  there  was  a  chance  of  Champlain's  return. 

So  our  poor  lad  shivered  and  starved  in  his 
hated  prison-house,  finding  his  only  occupation  in 
making  snow-shoes  from  materials  furnished  by 
Tasquanto.  He  designed  them  for  his  own  use, 
but  they  were  taken  from  him  by  his  guards  as 
fast  as  completed,  so  that  in  the  end  he  had 
nothing  to  show  for  his  labors.  One  night  a  great 
grief  befell  him  ;  Tasquanto  failed  to  appear  at  the 
usual  hour,  nor  did  he  come  during  the  night, 
though  Nahma  watched  and  waited  for  him  until 
morning.  He  asked  eager  questions  of  the 
guard  who  brought  his  miserable  breakfast,  but 
the  man  refused  to  answer,  and  all  that  day  our 


156  THE    BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

lad  sat  in  a  lethargy  of  despair,  careless  whether 
he  lived  or  died. 

The  following  night  was  one  of  furious  storm 
and  bitter  cold.  The  north  wind  roaring  through 
the  bending  forest  shrieked  and  howled  in  savage 
glee  as  it  struck  the  forlorn  little  outpost  of  white 
men.  It  leaped  down  the  wide-throated  chimneys 
and  scattered  their  fires.  It  slammed  shutters 
and  doors,  while  if  any  ventured  abroad,  it  blinded 
and  choked  them  with  stinging  volleys  of  snow 
drift.  So  fierce  and  deadly  was  it  that  even 
military  discipline  came  to  an  end,  and  all  sen 
tries  were  permitted  to  abandon  their  posts. 

Nahma  sat  alone  in  the  dark,  numbed  and 
nearly  perished  with  the  cold,  for  he  had  burned 
up  the  last  bit  of  fuel  brought  him  two  days 
earlier  by  Tasquanto,  and  none  had  been  supplied 
since.  In  the  many  voices  of  the  storm,  now 
shrill  and  clamorous,  then  deep  and  menacing, 
and  again  filled  with  weird  moanings  that  died 
in  long-drawn  sighs,  he  heard  the  spirits  of  the 
dead,  the  Okis  of  another  world,  calling  to  him, 
and  bidding  him  share  their  wild  freedom.  He 
knew  that  he  had  but  to  yield  to  the  drowsiness 


THE  BITTER  WINTER  OF  CANADA    157 

already  overpowering  him,  and  the  deadly  cold 
would  speedily  release  him  from  all  earthly 
prisons.  Perhaps  Tasquanto's  spirit  was  among 
those  now  calling  ;  yes,  he  was  sure  of  it,  for  he 
recognized  his  friend's  voice.  "  Massasoit,"  it 
called,  "  Massasoit,  wake  up  !  It  is  I,  Tasquanto, 
thy  brother.  Wake  up  and  come  to  me." 

The  cry  was  agonized  in  its  intensity,  and  after 
a  little  even  Nahma's  dulling  senses  recognized 
that  it  was  uttered  by  human  lips.  At  the  same 
time  he  felt  that  the  storm  was  beating  on  his 
face,  and  struggling  weakly  to  his  feet,  he  gained 
the  window  through  which  it  came.  Its  shutter 
was  wide  open,  and  beyond  its  bars  stood  Tas 
quanto  speaking  to  him. 

"  I  thought  thee  dead,  my  brother,  for  I  have 
called  many  times  without  answer,"  said  Tas 
quanto,  as  he  became  aware  that  his  friend  was 
at  hand. 

"And  I  believed  thy  voice  to  be  that  of  thy 
spirit,  for  I  also  thought  thee  gone  to  the  place 
of  the  dead,"  replied  Nahma.  "  Why  have  you 
remained  away  from  me  these  many  hours?" 

"  It  is  because  they  drove  me  from  the  gate, 


158  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

saying  that  my  hunting  was  of  no  avail,  and  that 
I  should  not  longer  eat  of  their  stores.  But  I 

o 

could  not  go,  my  brother,  without  word  with  thee, 
and  now  has  the  storm-god  given  me  a  chance 
for  speaking.  If  it  were  not  for  these  bars  we 
could  do  more  than  speak,  for  those  who  kept 
guard  have  been  driven  to  shelter,  and  there  is 
none  to  hinder  us  from  going  away  together. 
But  they  may  not  be  broken,  and  so  we  must  wait 
until  other  means  are  found  for  thy  release.  But 
fear  not  that  I  will  desert  thee.  I  have  found  a 
way  for  passing  the  wall,  and  will  come  to  this 
place  whenever  it  may  be  done  without  notice. 
In  the  mean  time  I  will  prepare  for  our  flight. 
Already  have  I  built  a  lodge  in  a  safe  place 
beyond  the  river,  and " 

Here  Tasquanto's  words  were  suddenly  inter 
rupted,  and  the  heavy  shutter  was  slammed  to 
as  though  by  a  fierce  gust  of  wind.  Then  the 
door  was  flung  open  and  the  faint  gleam  of  a 
horn  lantern  illumined  the  interior. 

A  little  earlier  on  that  same  evening  Chauvin, 
while  talking  with  one  of  his  officers  concerning 
Champlain  and  his  unexplained  absence,  had  been 


THE  BITTER  WINTER  OF  CANADA    159 

reminded  of  the  young  Indian  whom  the  gov 
ernor  had  consigned  to  his  care,  but  to  whom  he 
had  not  given  a  thought  in  many  days.  Now 
he  inquired  carelessly  whether  he  were  alive 
or  dead. 

"  I  know  not,"  replied  the  officer,  who,  follow 
ing  his  chiefs  example,  had  not  concerned  him 
self  about  the  fate  of  so  insignificant  a  being  as 
a  captive  Indian. 

"And  why  do  you  not  know  ?"  cried  Chauvin, 
with  a  sudden  burst  of  petulant  rage.  "It  is 
your  duty  to  know,  and  to  be  ready  with  instant 
report  concerning  everything  taking  place  within 
the  walls  of  Quebec.  Do  you  think  because  the 
governor  chooses  to  absent  himself  for  a  while 
that  no  one  is  left  here  to  maintain  his  authority  ? 
By  the  saints,  monsieur,  I  will  give  you  cause  to 
remember  that  Pierre  Chauvin  is  not  to  be  trifled 
with,  and  that  when  he  asks  a  question  he  expects 
it  to  be  promptly  answered.  Go,  then,  at  once, 
sir,  and  inform  yourself  by  personal  observation 
of  the  condition  of  this  prisoner,  or  haply  you  may 
find  yourself  in  his  place." 

Without  daring  to  reply,  the  bewildered  officer 


160      THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

bowed  and  left  the  room.  Thus  it  happened  that, 
accompanied  by  a  soldier  whom  he  had  sum 
moned  to  attend  him,  he  came  to  Nahma's  prison- 
house  in  time  to  interrupt  the  conversation  be 
tween  him  and  Tasquanto  and  frighten  the  latter 
into  a  precipitate  retreat. 

Finding,  to  his  satisfaction,  that  the  prisoner 
was  still  alive,  the  officer  demanded  of  the  sol 
dier  why,  in  such  weather,  he  was  kept  without 
fire. 

The  soldier  replied  that  it  had  been  left  to  the 
other  Indian  to  provide  the  guard-house  with  fuel ; 
whereupon  his  superior  passed  out  to  him  the 
rating  he  himself  had  received  from  Chauvin. 

"  And  so,  canaille,  you  leave  your  duties  to  be 
performed  by  a  miserable  skulking  savage.  A 
pretty  state  of  affairs  in  a  king's  fortress.  Bring 
wood  at  once,  sir,  and  fire,  also  fetch  something 
in  the  way  of  food,  for  this  wretch  looks  like  to 
die  of  starvation,  a  thing  that  may  not  be  allowed 
of  the  governor's  own  prisoner,  even  though  he 
be  a  heathen." 

So  on  that  night  of  bitter  tempest  not  only 
were  Nahma's  spirits  raised  by  a  new  hope,  but 


THE  BITTER  WINTER  OF  CANADA    161 

the  horrors  of  freezing  and  starvation  that  had 
threatened  his  life  were  sensibly  mitigated.  Two 
days  later  came  the  first  word  received  from 
Champlain  since  his  hurried  departure  for 
Tadousac  four  months  earlier. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

A    DASH    FOR    LIBERTY 

THE  mystery  of  Champlain's  disappearance 
weighed  heavily  on  the  spirits  of  the  forlorn  little 
garrison  left  to  hold  Quebec.  He  had  been  the 
life  and  mainstay  of  the  colony,  the  firm  rock 
upon  which  it  was  founded.  Without  him  there 
seemed  no  hope  of  its  continuance  or  of  relief 
from  their  distress.  They  were  convinced  that 
he  was  dead,  for  they  knew  he  would  never  have 
left  them  without  at  least  sending  a  message  to 
tell  where  he  had  gone.  So  they  mourned  him 
sincerely  if  also  selfishly,  and  planned  to  abandon 
his  settlement  at  the  first  opportunity,  if  indeed 
any  should  offer. 

The  great  storm  cast  an  added  gloom  over  the 
garrison,  and  they  were  so  unhappy  that  every 
man  was  ready  to  fly  at  his  neighbor's  throat 
upon  the  slightest  provocation,  when  a  small  band 
of  Indians  was  reported  to  be  making  a  camp 
near  at  hand.  Instantly  every  face  brightened, 
162 


A    DASH    FOR    LIBERTY  163 

for  it  was  thought  that  they  must  have  brought 
provisions  to  trade  for  goods.  Thus,  when,  a  little 
later,  one  of  them  approached  the  fort,  he  was 
given  prompt  admittance.  Being  conducted  to 
the  presence  of  the  commandant,  he  announced 
that  his  people  were  so  very  hungry  that  they 
had  come  to  the  white  men  to  beg  a  little  food 
from  their  abundant  stores.  At  the  same  time 
he  had  brought  a  message  from  the  great  white 
chief,  for  which  he  was  entitled  to  a  reward. 

With  this  the  Indian  produced  a  folded  paper, 
greasy  and  grimed  with  dirt,  which  he  handed  to 
Chauvin. 

As  the  latter  unfolded  it  he  uttered  an  ex 
clamation,  for  it  contained  a  note  written  in  French 
and  signed  "  Champlain."  Its  condition  rendered 
it  difficult  to  decipher,  but  as  the  reader  gradu 
ally  mastered  its  contents  his  face  darkened, 
until  suddenly  he  sprang  up,  seized  a  stick,  and 
began  furiously  to  belabor  the  astonished  savage, 
who  had  been  waiting  in  smiling  expectancy  for 
his  reward.  With  a  howl  of  pained  surprise,  he 
leaped  back  and  rushed  from  the  building  with 
the  enraged  commandant  in  hot  pursuit. 


1 64  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

Not  until  the  terrified  native  had  escaped  from 
the  fort  and  disappeared  in  the  forest  did  Chauvin 
give  over  his  chase.  Then,  to  the  amazement  of 
his  men,  he  ordered  a  cannon  to  be  loaded  and 
fired  in  the  direction  taken  by  the  object  of  his 
wrath.  Although  the  crashing  ball  did  no  dam 
age,  it,  and  the  roar  of  the  gun  bursting  upon 
the  winter  stillness,  so  frightened  the  recently 
arrived  Indians  that  they  instantly  abandoned 
their  partially  constructed  camp  and  fled  in  hot 
haste  from  that  hostile  neighborhood. 

Refusing  to  answer  questions,  and  so  leaving 
the  curiosity  of  his  men  unsatisfied,  Chauvin  re 
turned  to  his  quarters,  and  lifting  Champlain's 
note  from  the  floor  where  he  had  flung  it,  read  it 
for  the  second  time  with  gritting  teeth  and  bitter 
maledictions.  It  was  dated  four  months  earlier, 
and  read  as  follows  : 

"  MY  GOOD  FRIEND  PIERRE  : 

"I  am  just  arrived  at  Tadousac  and  find  the 
ship  about  to  sail.  I  also  find  it  to  be  of  the  last 
importance  that  one  of  us  should  return  in  her 
to  France.  Had  I  known  this  two  days  earlier, 


A    DASH    FOR   LIBERTY  165 

or  could  I  get  word  to  you  in  season,  the  mission 
would  devolve  upon  you,  since  I  am  loath  to  leave 
at  this  time.  As  it  happens,  I  myself  must  go  ; 
but  will  return  in  earliest  spring.  So,  my  friend, 
until  then  everything  is  left  to  you.  Husband 
carefully  your  provisions,  keep  up  the  spirits  of 
your  men,  and  maintain  friendly  relations  with 
the  natives.  I  forward  this  by  a  messenger, 
whom  you  will  suitably  reward  for  its  prompt 
delivery.  Regretting  that  we  may  not  exchange 
duties,  for  I  would  gladly  remain,  I  sign  myself, 

as  ever, 

"Thy  friend, 

"  CHAMPLAIN." 

"  Death  and  furies  !"  cried  Chauvin,  again  fling 
ing  the  note  to  the  floor  and  grinding  it  beneath 
his  heel.  "  To  think  that  while  we  have  mourned 
him  as  dead  he  has  been  all  the  time  comfortably 
in  France.  Also  that  I  might  have  gone  in  his 
stead  if  only  he  could  have  got  word  to  me  in 
time.  Ten  thousand  thunders  !  It  would  en 
rage  a  saint !  Maintain  friendly  relations  with 
the  natives,  forsooth  !  I  would  I  could  blow  them 
all  to  eternity.  Suitably  reward  that  rascal  mes- 


1 66  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

senger !  Burning  at  the  stake  would  be  too 
good  for  him.  And,  heavens  !  all  this  time  we 
have  been  keeping  one  of  the  scoundrels  in  lux 
urious  idleness,  gorging  him  with  food  robbed 
from  our  own  bellies,  providing  him  with  fire  and 
lodging  to  gratify  a  whim  of  the  governor's, 
doubtless  long  since  forgotten.  But  not  another 
minute  shall  he  thus  impose  upon  us.  He  shall 
go,  and  that  with  such  speed  as  will  amaze  him." 

With  this  the  angry  commandant  again  de 
scended  to  the  court,  summoned  all  the  able- 
bodied  men  of  the  garrison,  and  bade  them  form 
a  double  line  outside  the  guard-house  door,  after 
first  providing  themselves  with  cudgels.  "The 
red  whelp  inside,"  he  said,  "has  without  recom 
pense  devoured  our  substance  long  enough. 
Now,  therefore,  I  propose  to  send  him  forth  bear 
ing  tokens  of  our  regard  that  may  not  be  for 
gotten  in  haste.  Watch  sharply,  then,  and  re 
member  that  any  man  failing  to  deal  him  at  least 
one  blow  shall  go  without  his  supper  this  night. 
Are  you  ready  ?  It  is  well !" 

Thus  saying,  Chauvin  unlocked  the  guard-house 
door  and  flung  it  open  preparatory  to  stepping 


A    DASH    FOR   LIBERTY  167 

inside  and  driving"  out  with  blows  its  solitary  oc 
cupant.  The  next  moment  he  was  hurled 
sprawling  to  the  ground,  and  a  slight,  half-naked 
figure,  animated  by  desperation,  was  darting  with 
such  speed  between  the  lines  of  unprepared 
soldiers  that  some  failed  even  to  go  through 
the  motions  of  striking  at  him,  while  others 
wasted  their  blows  on  the  empty  air.  Uttering 
yells  of  delight  at  the  novel  nature  of  this  enter 
tainment,  they  ran  after  him  ;  but  they  might  as 
well  have  pursued  a  fleeting  shadow.  Before 
they  could  head  him  off  he  had  sped  through 
the  open  gate  and  was  gone. 

After  Tasquanto's  visit  Nahma's  shutter  had 
been  nailed  up,  so  that  he  no  longer  had  even 
the  poor  consolation  of  gazing  out  on  the  blank 
wall  of  palisades.  Nor  could  he  employ  his 
hands,  for  he  was  now  in  darkness,  save  for  such 
faint  gleams  as  filtered  down  his  chimney.  Under 
these  conditions  he  believed  that  he  might  speedily 
die,  and  planned  for  one  last  effort  at  escape  be 
fore  his  waning  strength  should  turn  to  utter 
weakness.  On  that  very  day  he  had  determined 
that  when  next  his  prison  door  was  opened  it 


1 68  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

should  never  again  close  on  his  living  body.  So 
he  sat  watching  it  with  feverish  impatience. 

The  roar  of  Chauvin's  vengeful  cannon  startled 

o 

him  and  at  the  same  time  gave  him  a  vague  hope 
of  some  unusual  happening  that  might  result  in 
his  favor.  So  he  became  keenly  alert,  and  was 
not  taken  by  surprise  when,  without  previous 
warning,  the  door  of  the  guard-house  was  flung 
open.  Dropping  from  his  shoulders  the  blanket 
which  alone  had  saved  him  from  freezing,  the 
youth  sprang  forward,  reckless  of  consequences, 
and  a  minute  later,  without  an  idea  of  how  the 
miracle  had  been  accomplished,  found  himself 
outside  the  fort  and  speeding  towards  the  ice 
bound  river.  So  blinded  were  his  eyes  by  the 
unaccustomed  light  and  glare  of  snow  that  until 
now  he  had  seen  nothing  save  the  figure  that  had 
opened  his  door,  and  his  movements  had  been 
guided  by  instinct  rather  than  knowledge.  The 
single  fact  indelibly  impressed  upon  his  brain  was 
that  Tasquanto  waited  somewhere  beyond  the 
river.  Consequently  that  was  the  one  direction 
for  him  to  take,  and  he  would  doubtless  have 
plunged  into  its  waters,  had  they  been  free,  as 


A   DASH    FOR    LIBERTY  169 

readily  as  he  now  leaped  upon  its  snow-covered 
surface. 

So  long  as  he  was  within  sight  of  the  fort  and 
within  range  of  its  guns  his  strength  lasted,  and  he 
sped  forward  with  the  same  fleetness  that  had  for 
merly  aroused  the  wonder  of  his  Iroquois  friends. 
Thus  he  gained  the  middle  of  the  river,  and  climbed 
a  rugged  ridge  of  hummocks  and  huge  ice-blocks 
upheaved  during  the  final  struggle  of  rebellious 
waters  against  the  mighty  forces  of  the  frost-king. 

On  the  farther  side  of  this  our  poor  lad  faltered, 
staggered,  and  then  sank  with  a  groan.  The 
nervous  strength  that  had  borne  him  thus  far  was 
exhausted,  and  in  this  place  of  temporary  safety 
it  yielded  to  the  weakness  of  his  long  imprison 
ment.  He  had  made  a  splendid  dash  for  liberty, 
but  now  he  had  reached  the  limit  of  his  powers, 
and  must  either  be  recaptured  within  a  short 
space  or  die  of  the  bitter  cold.  Even  as  he  lay 
with  closed  eyes  gasping  for  breath  he  felt  its 
numbing  clutch,  and  knew  that  very  shortly  he 
would  be  powerless  against  it.  But  it  did  not 
matter.  He  would  at  least  die  in  possession  of 
the  freedom  for  which  he  had  longed,  and,  after 


170  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

all,  what  had  he  to  live  for  ?  He  was  friendless, 
homeless,  and  without  even  a  people  whom  he 
might  call  his  own.  No  tribe  claimed  him,  there 
was  no  lodge  within  which  he  had  the  right  of 
shelter.  It  would  be  much  better  in  the  land  of 
spirits,  for  there  his  own  would  know  him  as  he 
would  know  them.  The  trail  to  it  was  easy  and 
short,  also  it  was  a  very  pleasant  path,  bright 
with  sunshine  and  gay  with  flowers.  There  was 
music  of  singing  birds,  and  already  were  the 
voices  of  his  own  people  calling  to  him.  "  Mas- 
sasoit !"  they  cried,  "  Massasoit !"  Then  they 
named  him  brother  and  bade  him  open  his  eyes 
that  he  might  see  them.  So  he  opened  his  eyes 
and  gazed  into  the  anxious  face  of  Tasquanto, 
who  knelt  beside  him  rubbing  vigorously  at  his 
limbs  and  slapping  him  smartly  to  restore  circu 
lation  in  the  numbing  body. 

He  smiled  happily  at  sight  of  Nahma's  unclosed 
eyes,  but  did  not  for  an  instant  desist  from  his 
rubbings  and  slappings  until  the  other  at  length 
sat  up,  and  then  unsteadily  regained  his  feet. 

"  Now,  my  brother,"  said  Tasquanto,  taking  a 
robe  of  skins  from  his  own  shoulders  as  he  spoke 


A    DASH    FOR   LIBERTY  171 

and  throwing  it  about  Nahma,  "  together  must 
we  reach  the  lodge  I  have  prepared,  for  I  will  never 
return  to  it  alone.  The  trail  is  long  and  hard,  but 
it  must  be  overcome  or  we  shall  perish  together." 
So  the  journey  was  begun,  Nahma  at  first 
leaning  heavily  on  his  comrade's  supporting  arm, 
but  gaining  new  strength  with  each  step.  As  he 
had  taken  neither  nourishment  nor  stimulant,  this 
was  wholly  owing  to  the  effect  upon  his  spirits 
of  renewed  hope  and  a  cheery  companionship. 
As  they  walked  Tasquanto  told  him  how,  ever 
since  the  storm,  his  attempts  at  communication 
had  been  frustrated,  how  in  the  mean  time  he  had 
increased  the  comforts  of  his  hidden  lodge,  how  at 
sound  of  Chauvin's  cannon  he  had  hastened  tow 
ards  the  fort  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  firing,  and 
of  the  overwhelming  joy  with  which  he  had  dis 
covered  Nahma  as  the  latter  topped  the  ice-ridge 
in  the  middle  of  the  river.  Then  Nahma  related 
as  well  as  he  could  the  details  of  his  wonderful 
escape  from  the  fort,  and  by  the  time  his  narrative 
was  ended  they  were  come  to  the  rude  lodge 
that  Tasquanto  had  built  in  anticipation  of  just 
such  a  need  as  had  now  arisen. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

A    DEATH-DEALING    THUNDER-STICK 

TASQUANTO'S  lodge  was  snugly  hidden  in  a 
dense  growth  of  heavy  timber  near  the  place 
where  the  Chaudiere  flows  into  the  St.  Lawrence. 
It  was  merely  a  frame  of  poles  covered  so  thickly 
with  branches  of  fragrant  spruce  and  balsam  that 
it  presented  the  appearance  of  a  green  mound 
rising  above  the  surrounding  snow.  Its  walls 
were  so  thick  as  to  be  almost  wind-proof,  and  in 
the  middle  of  its  earthen  floor  was  a  small  circle 
of  stones  that  formed  a  rude  fireplace.  In  this 
only  the  dryest  of  wood  was  burned,  and  the  little 
smoke  that  resulted  escaped  through  an  aperture 
left  in  the  roof.  On  two  sides  were  elastic  beds 
of  spruce  boughs  covered  deep  with  flat  hemlock 
branches  and  balsam  tips.  The  very  air  of  the 
place  was  a  tonic,  and  the  escaped  captive,  fresh 
from  the  foulness  of  his  prison,  drew  in  eager 
breaths  of  its  life-giving  sweetness  as  he  sank 
172 


A-  DEATH-DEALING    THUNDER-STICK        173 

wearily,   but  happily,   down  on   the   nearest  pile 
of  boughs. 

As  he  lay  there  gazing  about  the  rude  shelter 
with  an  air  of  perfect  content  he  uttered  frequent 
exclamations  of  amazement,  for  Tasquanto  was 
drawing  from  various  hiding-places  an  array  of 
treasures  such  as  no  Indian  of  Nahma's  acquaint 
ance  had  ever  before  possessed  :  a  copper  kettle, 
a  steel  hatchet,  two  knives,  a  blanket,  several 
glass  bottles,  and  a  fragment  of  mirror.  Then, 
with  conscious  pride,  but  also  with  evident  trepi 
dation,  he  produced  the  most  wonderful  trophy 
of  all,  a  rusty  musket,  one  of  the  awful  thunder- 
sticks  that  rendered  the  white  man  all-powerful. 

During  the  night  of  the  great  storm  the  entire 
garrison  of  Quebec  had  gathered  for  warmth  in 
the  hall  of  the  commandant's  house,  and  Tas 
quanto  had  taken  advantage  of  this  to  make  a 
foray  into  the  deserted  barracks  with  the  above 
result.  He  had  brought  away  the  musket  with 
fear  and  trembling,  dreading  lest  it  might  ex 
plode  and  kill  him  at  any  moment.  Even  now 
he  handled  it  cautiously,  while  Nahma  could  not 
for  some  time  be  persuaded  to  touch  it.  So  it 


174  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

was  laid  carefully  down,  and  he  was  permitted  to 
feast  his  eyes  on  the  marvel  while  Tasquanto 
busied  himself  in  preparing  a  feast  of  more 
substantial  character. 

He  had  been  so  fortunate  as  to  discover  the 
winter  den  of  a  bear,  which  he  had  also  suc 
ceeded  in  killing,  so  that  now  he  could  offer 
his  guest  not  only  the  warmth  of  a  shaggy 
robe  but  an  abundance  of  meat.  Instead  of 
half-burning  and  half-cooking  a  chunk  of  this 
on  the  coals,  as  was  the  custom  of  his  people, 
he  displayed  a  rudiment  of  civilization  by  cut 
ting  it  up  into  small  bits  and  stewing  them  in 
his  copper  kettle. 

After  the  youths  had  eaten  heartily  of  this 
meal,  which,  simple  as  it  was,  proved  more 
satisfactory  to  Nahma  than  the  very  best  of 
those  given  him  in  Quebec,  they  spent  several 
hours  in  discussing  their  plans  for  the  future 
and  in  examining  Tasquanto' s  treasures.  Hav 
ing  overcome  his  awe  of  the  thunder-stick  suffi 
ciently  to  take  it  in  his  hands,  Nahma  became 
anxious  to  test  its  powers.  He  had  seen  Cham- 
plain  discharge  his  musket,  and  knew  that  it  was 


A   DEATH-DEALING    THUNDER-STICK        175 

done  through  the  agency  of  a  lighted  slow-match 
applied  to  the  priming-pan.  His  knowledge  of 
the  firing  of  a  gun  was  thus  far  in  advance  of 
Tasquanto's,  who,  having  never  witnessed  the 
operation  at  close  range,  had  no  idea  of  how  it 
was  accomplished.  But  he  was  quite  willing  to 
learn,  and  so  it  was  agreed  that  on  the  following 
morning  Nahma  should  give  the  owner  of  the 
musket  his  first  lesson  in  its  use. 

Both  of  them  were  so  excited  over  the  pros 
pect  of  experimenting  for  their  own  benefit  with 
the  deadly  thunder  of  the  white  man  that  they 
lay  awake  most  of  the  night  discussing  their  pro 
posed  adventure  ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  slept 
much  later  than  they  had  intended  on  the  follow 
ing  morning.  The  day  was  well  advanced,  there 
fore,  when  the  two  lads,  after  preparing  and 
eating  another  hearty  meal,  stepped  outside  to 
test  their  newly  acquired  weapon.  It  was  carried 
by  Nahma,  who,  nervous  with  excitement,  still 
presented  a  bold  front,  while,  under  his  direction, 
Tasquanto  fetched  a  blazing  brand  from  the  fire. 

Resting  the  barrel  of  his  piece  across  the 
trunk  of  a  prostrate  tree  and  holding  its  stock 


1 76  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

at  arm's  length,  Nahma  bade  his  companion  ap 
ply  fire  to  the  pan.  With  much  trepidation  and 
a  strong"  desire  to  clap  both  hands  to  his  ears, 
Tasquanto  valiantly  did  as  he  was  bidden,  but 
without  result.  Again  and  again  did  he  apply 
the  glowing  coal,  but  still  the  gun  refused  to 
obey  the  wishes  of  its  inexperienced  owners. 

"It  will  only  speak  and  deal  out  its  death- 
medicine  at  the  command  of  white  men,"  said 
Tasquanto,  disconsolately. 

"  Not  so,"  replied  Nahma,  "for  once  I  saw  it 
obey  the  will  of  a  Huron  warrior.  But  I  think  I 
know  what  is  needed.  It  must  be  turned  over  so 
that  the  flame  may  rise  to  it.  Also  in  this  weather 
the  thunder-stick  is  so  cold  that  it  will  take  much 
fire  to  warm  it  into  action.  Make,  therefore,  a 
hot  blaze,  and  I  am  assured  that  something  will 
happen." 

So  Nahma  turned  the  gun,  and,  forgetting  to 
remain  at  arm's  length,  bent  anxiously  over  the 
refractory  piece,  while  Tasquanto  built  a  regular 
fire  beneath  it.  Of  a  sudden  the  musket  went 
off  with  a  tremendous  report  that  roused  the 
woodland  echoes  for  miles.  Also  it  sprang 


A    DEATH-DEALING    THUNDER-STICK        177 

savagely  backward,  bowling1  over  both  Nahma 
and  Tasquanto  as  though  they  had  been  nine 
pins.  But  the  most  astounding  result  of  the 
discharge  was  a  series  of  shrieks  and  yells  that 
resounded  through  the  forest  as  though  it  were 
peopled  by  a  pack  of  demons.  At  the  same 
time  a  number  of  leaping  figures  dashed  from 
an  extensive  thicket  at  which  the  gun  had  been 
inadvertently  pointed  and  fled  as  though  for  their 
lives.  Something  had  assuredly  happened. 

As  our  bewildered  lads  cautiously  lifted  their 
heads  to  learn  the  extent  of  the  damage  done  by 
the  fearful  force  they  had  so  recklessly  let  loose, 
each  was  thankful  to  see  that  the  other  was  still 
alive.  Next  they  glanced  at  the  musket.  It  lay 
half  buried  in  the  snow,  looking  as  innocent  and 
harmless  as  a  stick  of  wood  ;  but  they  knew  of 
what  terrible  things  it  was  capable,  and  would 
hereafter  be  very  careful  how  they  allowed  it  to 
come  into  contact  with  fire.  They  were  con 
vinced  that  in  some  unexplained  manner  it 
could  absorb  flame  until  it  had  accumulated 
a  certain  quantity  and  could  then  eject  this 
with  deadly  effect. 


12 


1 78  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

Being  reassured  concerning  their  own  condi 
tion  and  the  present  harmlessness  of  the  musket, 
they  next  bethought  themselves  of  the  dreadful 
cries  that  had  seemed  to  mingle  with  the  report, 
and  they  agreed  that  these  must  have  been  uttered 
by  the  Okis,  or  spirits  of  the  forest,  in  protest 
against  such  a  rude  disturbance  of  its  winter 
quiet.  As  they  stiffly  picked  themselves  up, 
Nahma  declared  his  intention  of  visiting  the 
thicket  towards  which  the  thunder-stick  had  been 
pointed,  to  see  whether  he  could  discover  where 
its  lightnings  had  struck.  Tasquanto  tried  to 
dissuade  him,  declaring  that  the  place  must  be 
the  abode  of  Okis ;  but  to  this  Nahma  an 
swered  that  if  so  they  were  certainly  frightened 
away  for  the  present,  which  would  therefore  be 
the  best  time  to  visit  their  haunts. 

So  the  two  cautiously  made  their  way  in  that 
direction,  and  had  not  gone  more  than  fifty  paces 
when  they  came  upon  a  sight  almost  as  startling 
as  had  been  the  discharge  of  the  musket.  It  was 
the  dead  body  of  a  Huron  warrior  not  yet  cold. 
His  life's  blood  still  trickled  from  a  jagged  wound 
in  the  breast  and  crimsoned  the  snow  on  which  he 


A    DEATH-DEALING    THUNDER-STICK        179 

had  fallen.  On  all  sides  of  him  were  other  signs 
that  told  as  plainly  as  spoken  words  how  narrowly 
our  lads  had  escaped  falling  into  the  hands  of  a 
merciless  foe.  There  were  marks  of  a  cautious 
approach  along  the  trail  they  themselves  had 
made  the  day  before,  of  the  halt  for  observation 
when  the  intended  victims  were  discovered,  and 
of  the  panic-stricken  flight  that  followed  the  unex 
pected  musket-fire  by  which  one  of  their  number 
had  been  so  suddenly  killed. 

"The  thunder-stick  is  indeed  a  god,"  remarked 
Nahma.  "It  can  discover  and  kill  the  enemies  of 
those  to  whom  it  is  friendly  even  before  they  have 
knowledge  of  approaching  danger." 

"Yes,"  replied  Tasquanto,  as  he  coolly  scalped 
the  dead  Huron  ;  "with  it  to  fight  on  our  side  we 
are  become  as  sagamores,  terrible  and  all-power 
ful.  I  will  take  it  to  my  own  people,  and  when  it 
shall  lead  them  in  battle  who  will  be  able  to  stand 
before  them  ?  Even  the  white  men,  whom  many 
still  think  to  be  gods,  are  now  no  stronger  than 
we.  Oh,  my  friend  !  let  us  shout  for  joy,  since 
in  all  the  world  there  is  no  man  more  powerful 
than  are  Massasoit  and  Tasquanto,  his  brother." 


i8o  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

When  the  exultant  young  warriors  returned  to 
camp,  bearing  with  them  the  trophies  of  their 
exploit,  they  also  carried,  very  reverently,  the 
weapon  which  they  termed  a  ''thunder-god,"  and 
which  had  rendered  them  such  notable  service. 
Then,  while  Nahma  set  to  work  on  a  pair  of  snow- 
shoes,  Tasquanto,  who  had  seen  the  French  sol 
diers  oil  and  burnish  their  guns,  coated  his  with 
bear's  grease,  removed  its  smoke-stains,  and 
rubbed  its  barrel  until  -it  shone.  When  he  had 
done  for  it  everything  that  his  limited  knowledge 
prescribed,  he  placed  it  in  a  corner  where  they 
could  constantly  admire  it,  and  began  the  con 
struction  of  a  rude  toboggan  of  bark. 

By  the  time  this  was  completed  Nahma' s  snow- 
shoes  were  also  ready  for  service,  and  the  fugitives 
were  prepared  to  start  on  their  long  southward 
journey.  For  a  beginning  of  this  they  made 
their  way  slowly  up  to  the  head-waters  of  the 
Chaudiere,  crossed  a  rugged  divide  to  those  of 
the  Penobscot,  and  there  established  a  permanent 
camp.  From  this  they  set  lines  of  traps  that 
yielded  a  rich  reward  in  the  way  of  pelts,  and 
before  spring  opened  they  got  out  the  frame  of  a 


A    DEATH-DEALING    THUNDER-STICK        181 

canoe.  As  soon  as  sap  began  to  run  in  the  birch- 
trees  they  secured  enough  bark  to  cover  it,  and 
by  the  time  the  river  opened  they  were  prepared 
to  float  with  its  current  to  the  country  of  Tas- 
quanto's  people. 

Their  voyage  down  the  swift-rushing  river  was 
filled  with  adventures  and  with  hair-breadth  es 
capes.  Not  only  were  they  in  almost  constant 
danger  from  foaming  rapids  and  roaring  water 
falls,  but  only  unceasing  vigilance  and  an  occa 
sional  display  of  their  musket  saved  them  from 
death  or  capture  by  the  hostile  tribes  through 
whose  territory  they  passed. 

At  length  they  carried  around  the  last  cataract 
and  entered  upon  the  long,  broad  reaches  by 
which  the  river  flowed  in  dignified  majesty  to  the 
sea.  This  was  Tasquanto's  country,  and  now 
they  might  watch  for  the  villages  in  which  he 
would  be  assured  a  friendly  welcome. 

Finally  one  was  sighted,  and  Nahma  proposed 
that,  after  the  custom  of  white  men  on  returning 
from  victorious  expeditions,  they  should  discharge 
their  thunder-stick.  Nothing  loath  to  add  to  his 
own  importance  by  such  an  announcement  of 


i82  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

their  coming,  Tasquanto  promptly  assented  to 
this  proposition.  So  they  landed  a  few  hundred 
yards  above  the  village  and  made  preparations 
for  the  second  discharge  of  their  formidable 
weapon. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

KIDNAPPED 

BEING  by  this  time,  as  they  fondly  imagined, 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  white  man's 
thunder-stick  and  with  all  details  of  the  process 
necessary  to  render  it  effective,  our  young  Indians 
were  determined  to  leave  undone  nothing  that 
might  contribute  to  the  complete  success  of  their 
proposed  salute.  To  begin  with,  the  musket 
must  be  pointed  away  from  the  village,  and  they 
themselves  must  keep  at  a  respectful  distance 
while  it  was  accumulating  its  fiery  energy.  Also, 
to  produce  an  extraordinary  volume  of  sound, 
the  flame  by  which  the  thunder-stick  was  fed 
must  be  big  and  hot.  They  knew  this,  because 
on  the  occasion  of  their  previous  experiment  they 
had,  with  the  aid  of  a  flame,  produced  a  much 
louder  noise  than  that  made  by  the  white  man's 
slow-matches.  Consequently  they  argued  that 
the  greater  the  flame  the  louder  the  report. 

At  the  same  time  they  were  willing  to  acknowl- 

183 


1 84  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

edge  that  slow-matches  were  excellent  things  to 
have  under  certain  conditions,  when,  for  instance, 
one  was  so  closely  beset  that  he  wished  to  fire 
with  great  rapidity,  even  as  many  as  two  or  three 
shots  in  the  course  of  an  hour.  So  they  were 
determined  to  obtain  one  at  the  very  first  oppor 
tunity,  and  imagined  that  thus  provided  their 
shooting  equipment  would  be  complete. 

But  a  blaze  would  be  much  better  for  their 
present  purpose,  and  they  would  take  care  that 
it  was  big  enough  to  produce  an  astonishing 
result.  So  carefully  did  they  make  their  prepara 
tions  that  while  Tasquanto  collected  dry  wood 
for  the  fire,  Nahma  cut  a  couple  of  forked  sticks 
on  which  to  rest  the  musket  and  drove  them 
solidly  into  the  ground.  To  these  he  lashed  the 
gun  until  it  resembled  a  victim  about  to  be  burned 
at  the  stake.  He  did  not,  of  course,  forget  to 
place  it  upside  down,  so  that  its  firing-pan  might 
receive  full  benefit  of  the  upleaping  flames. 
Then  wood  was  piled  beneath  it  until  it  really 
looked  as  though  they  were  intent  upon  burning 
the  gun  instead  of  being  merely  desirous  of  dis 
charging  it. 


KIDNAPPED  185 

While  they  were  making  these  preparations 
several  of  the  villagers,  noticing  the  presence  of 
strangers,  came  out  to  discover  their  business. 
To  these  Tasquanto  made  the  peace  sign,  and  at 
the  same  time  warned  them  not  to  come  too 
close.  So  they  halted  and  watched  with  curiosity 
the  mysterious  proceedings  of  the  strangers. 

At  length  all  was  in  readiness,  and  Tasquanto, 
as  principal  owner  of  the  thunder-stick,  claimed 
the  privilege  of  setting  fire  to  the  inflammable 
structure  he  had  reared  beneath  it.  As  the  brisk 
blaze  shot  upward  he  ran  back  and  joined  Nahma 
at  a  safe  distance.  On  the  opposite  side  were  the 
village  Indians,  filled  with  uneasy  expectancy 
mingled  with  awe  ;  for  they  imagined  they  were 
witnessing  some  impressive  religious  ceremony. 

The  flames  mounted  higher  and  higher  until 
they  completely  enveloped  the  devoted  musket, 
and  Tasquanto,  so  excited  as  to  be  unconscious 
of  the  act,  clapped  his  hands  to  his  ears  to  deaden 
the  sound  of  the  thunderous  report  that  he  mo 
mentarily  expected.  But  it  did  not  come.  The 
wooden  stock  of  the  gun  began  to  smoke,  and 
then  burst  into  a  blaze.  Being  very  dry  and  also 


1 86  THE    BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

saturated  with  oil,  it  was  speedily  consumed.  At 
the  same  time  the  lashings  burned  through,  and 
the  red-hot  barrel,  already  bent  out  of  shape,  fell 
into  the  glowing  coals. 

As  though  drawn  by  an  irresistible  fascination, 
Tasquanto,  with  hands  still  held  to  his  ears,  had 
moved  nearer  step  by  step,  gazing  with  incredu 
lous  eyes  at  this  destruction  of  the  thing  he  had 
regarded  as  a  god,  loud-voiced  and  invincible. 
The  puzzled  spectators  on  the  other  side  also 
cautiously  approached  closer. 

Suddenly  Tasquanto,  seeming  to  awake  as 
from  a  dream,  started  down  the  hill-side  towards 
the  canoe,  and  Nahma  followed  him.  Both  knew 
why  they  fled.  For  some  unexplained  reason 
their  expected  triumph  had  resulted  in  a  dismal 
failure.  This  had  laid  them  open  to  the  ridicule 
that  an  Indian  finds  especially  hard  to  bear,  and 
they  had  no  wish  to  be  questioned  concerning 
what  had  just  taken  place. 

The  spectators  of  their  recent  remarkable  per 
formance,  curious  to  see  what  they  would  do  next, 
followed  them  so  closely  that,  in  order  to  escape, 
our  lads  were  forced  to  run.  Gaining  their 


KIDNAPPED  187 

canoe,  they  shoved  it  off  and  leaped  in  as  the  fore 
most  of  their  pursuers  reached  the  water's  edge. 
Without  heeding  the  many  invitations  to  return 
that  quickly  became  threatening  commands, 
Nahma  and  Tasquanto  plied  their  paddles  with 
such  diligence  that  they  were  quickly  beyond 
arrow  range  ;  and,  speeding  past  the  village 
without  a  pause,  they  were  soon  lost  to  sight 
of  its  puzzled  inhabitants.  Not  until  they  were 
some  miles  farther  down  the  river  was  a  word 
exchanged  between  the  young  men.  Then,  as 
Nahma  drew  in  his  paddle  and  paused  for  breath, 
he  remarked, — 

"The  thunder-stick  of  the  white  man  is  bad 
medicine  for  bow-and-arrow  people." 

"Yes,"  replied  Tasquanto,  mournfully,  "it 
seems  that  we  have  much  to  learn." 

While  in  camp  that  night  discussing  the  humil 
iating  events  of  the  day  they  were  joined  by  a 
solitary  hunter  who  was  on  his  way  up  the  river. 
After  a  guarded  interchange  of  questions  and 
answers,  during  which  neither  party  learned  any 
thing  definite  concerning  the  other,  the  stranger 
told  them  of  certain  white  men  who  were  trading 


1 88  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

at  the  mouth  of  the  Penobscot,  and  advised  them 
to  carry  their  furs  to  that  market. 

"  Are  they  Frangaise  ?"  asked  Nahma,  who  was 
determined  never  again  to  fall  within  the  power 
of  those  who  had  so  cruelly  imprisoned  him. 

"No,"  was  the  reply,  "they  are  of  a  people 
who  call  themselves  '  Yengeese'  and  who  make 
war  on  the  white-coats:4" 

"  Have  they  thunder-sticks  ?"  asked  Tasquanto. 

"In  plenty." 

"Then  let  us  go  to  them.  If  we  accomplish 
nothing  else  we  may  learn  the  white  man's  secret, 
and  so  shall  our  shame  be  wiped  out." 

On  the  following  day,  therefore,  a  few  hours 
carried  our  lads  to  where  the  river  broadened 
into  a  bay  dotted  with  islands.  As  their  little 
craft  was  lifted  on  the  first  great  swells  that 
came  rolling  in  from  the  open  sea,  Nahma  uttered 
an  exclamation  and  pointed  eagerly. 

"Look!"  he  cried.  "What  is  it?  Was  ever 
such  a  thing  seen  in  the  world  before?" 

Tasquanto  glanced  in  the  direction  indicated 
and  laughed.  Truly,  the  sight  was  remarkable, 
and  one  still  rare  to  those  waters  ;  but  he  had 


KIDNAPPED  189 

already  seen  one  so  similar  in  the  St.  Lawrence 
that  he  could  now  speak  with  the  authority  of 
superior  knowledge. 

"It  is  the  winged  canoe  of  the  white  man,"  he 
said.  "In  it  he  comes  up  out  of  the  great  salt 
waters  and  after  a  little  flies  back  again  to  his 
own  place.  Knew  you  not  that  his  whiteness  is 
caused  by  the  washing  of  the  waters  in  which  he 
lives  ?" 

"  No,"  replied  Nahma,  doubtfully.  "  Nor  did 
I  know  that  any  canoe  could  be  so  vast.  It  even 
has  trees  growing  from  it." 

"Yes,"  admitted  the  other,  to  whom  this  phe 
nomenon  was  also  a  puzzle.  "  But  they  be  not 
trees  that  bear  fruit,  nor  even  leaves,  though  they 
have  branches  and  vines.  On  them  the  canoe 
spreads  its  wings,  which  are  white  like  the  pinions 
of  wembezee  "  (the  swan). 

"Let  us  go  closer  that  we  may  see  these 
things,"  said  Nahma,  to  whom  the  appearance  of 
that  little  English  trading-ship  was  as  wonderful 
as  had  been  his  first  view  of  Quebec. 

So  they  approached  slowly  and  cautiously, 
feasting  their  eyes  on  the  marvel  as  they  went, 


1 9o  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

and  directing  each  other's  attention  to  a  myriad 
of  details.  Finally  they  were  within  hailing  dis 
tance,  and  a  man  standing  on  the  ship's  towering 
poop-deck  beckoned  for  them  to  come  on  board. 

Tasquanto,  who  knew  the  etiquette  of  such 
occasions,  held  up  a  beaver-skin,  as  much  as  to 
say  "  Will  you  trade  ?" 

For  reply  the  white  man  displayed  some  trinkets 
that  glittered  in  the  sunlight,  thereby  intimating 
his  willingness  to  transact  business.  At  the  same 
time  he  turned  to  one  who  stood  close  at  hand 
and  said, — 

"  They  be  two  young  bucks,  without  old  men, 
women,  or  children.  Nor  is  there  another  native 
in  sight.  It  is  therefore  the  best  chance  by  far 
that  has  offered  for  filling  Sir  Ferdinando's  order. 
'Twenty  pounds  will  I  give  thee,  Dermer,  for  a 
native  youth  of  intelligence  delivered  here  at 
Plymouth  in  good  condition.'  Those  were  his 
very  words,  and  it  will  be  well  to  have  two  ;  for 
if  one  dies  on  the  passage,  as  the  cattle  are  so 
apt  to  do,  then  will  the  other  make  good  the  loss. 
If  both  survive,  so  much  the  better,  since  we  can 
readily  dispose  of  the  extra  one.  We  must  en- 


KIDNAPPED  191 

tice  them  on  board,  therefore,  and  the  instant  they 
set  foot  on  deck  do  thou  see  tc  it  that  they  are 
secured.  Be  careful,  however,  that  they  suffer  no 
injury,  for  I  would  get  them  across  in  good  con 
dition  if  possible." 

"Aye,  aye,  sir,"  answered  the  other,  who  was 
mate  of  the  ship.  "  If  you  can  toll  'em  on  board 
I'll  handle  them  as  they  were  unweaned  lambs. 
I'll  warrant  you  they  won't  escape  if  once  I  get  a 
grip  on  them,  slippery  devils  though  they  be." 

When  the  canoe  ran  alongside  the  ship  a  few 
trinkets  were  tossed  into  it  as  presents  and  in 
token  of  good-will.  Then  a  ladder  of  rope  was 
lowered,  and  by  signs  our  lads  were  invited  to 
come  on  board. 

They  looked  at  each  other  doubtfully.  "  Is  it 
safe  to  trust  these  white  men  ?"  asked  Nahma. 

"To  discover  the  secret  of  the  thunder-sticks, 
and  perhaps  to  obtain  one  in  exchange  for  our 
furs,  is  worth  a  risk,"  replied  Tasquanto.  As  he 
spoke  he  glanced  longingly  up  to  where  the  ship's 
captain,  with  a  leer  on  his  face  that  passed  for  a 
reassuring  smile,  tempted  them  by  a  lavish  dis 
play  of  trade  goods. 


192  THE    BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

"  Truly,  it  would  be  worth  much,"  hesitated 
Nahma.  "At  the  same  time,  having  once  es 
caped  from  a  prison,  I  have  no  desire  to  see  the 
inside  of  another." 

"Then  stay  thou  here  while  I  go,"  said  Tas- 
quanto,  whose  desire  to  wipe  out  his  recent 
humiliation  was  so  great  as  to  overcome  his 
prudence.  "  The  secret  of  the  thunder-stick  I 
must  have  even  though  it  cost  me  my  life." 

"  Does  my  brother  think  so  meanly  of  me  as 
to  believe  that  I  would  let  him  face  a  danger  alone 
while  I  remained  in  safety?"  inquired  Nahma, 
reproachfully.  "  Let  him  go  and  I  will  follow 
close  at  his  heels  ;  for  whatever  happens  to  one 
of  us  must  happen  to  both." 

So  the  canoe  was  made  fast,  the  bundle  of 
furs  was  attached  to  a  line  let  down  for  it,  and 
Tasquanto  began  to  climb  the  swaying  ladder 
while  Nahma  steadied  it  from  below.  As  the 
former  disappeared  over  the  ship's  side  the  son 
of  Longfeather  followed  swiftly  after  him.  Top 
ping  the  high  bulwarks,  he  glanced  anxiously 
down  in  search  of  his  comrade,  but  Tasquanto 
was  not  to  be  seen.  A  suspicion  of  foul  play 


KIDNAPPED  193 

darted  into  his  mind,  but  too  late  for  him  to  act 
upon  it,  for  at  the  same  instant  he  was  seized  by 
two  pair  of  brawny  hands  and  dragged  inboard. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  ship  under  full  canvas 
was  speeding  merrily  down  the  bay  with  her 
jubilant  crew  bawling  out  the  chorus  of  a  home 
ward-bound  chantey. 


CHAPTER    XIX 

SOLD    AS    A    SLAVE 

THE  distress  and  terror  of  our  poor  lads  when 
they  found  themselves  flung  into  the  horrible 
darkness  of  the  ship's  hold  with  its  hatch  closed 
above  them  would  have  been  pitiful  had  there 
been  any  witnesses.  But  there  was  none,  and 
for  many  weary  hours  they  seemed  to  have  been 
imprisoned  in  mere  wantonness  only  to  be  for 
gotten  as  soon  as  the  treacherous  act  had  been 
accomplished.  Their  sole  comfort  was  that  they 
were  together ;  for,  on  being  dropped  into  the 
hold,  Nahma  found  Tasquanto,  stunned  by  the 
magnitude  of  his  misfortune,  awaiting  him. 

For  a  time  the  two  remained  speechless,  only 
holding  to  each  other,  listening,  and  fearfully 
awaiting  what  next  might  happen.  Although 
they  could  see  nothing  there  was  much  to  hear, 
for  the  anchor  was  being  hove  up,  sails  loosed 
and  sheeted  home,  canvas  was  slatting,  yards 
194 


SOLD   AS   A    SLAVE  195 

were  creaking,  and  all  to  the  accompaniment  of 
much  hoarse  shouting  and  a  continual  tramping 
of  heavy  feet.  But  none  of  these  sounds  con 
veyed  to  our  captives  the  slightest  idea  of  what 
was  taking  place.  After  a  while  the  ship  began 
to  heel  until  they  believed  her  to  be  capsizing, 
and  that  their  last  hour  had  come.  Also  they 
heard  a  sound  of  rushing  waters.  A  little  later 
both  were  so  utterly  prostrated  by  sea-sickness 
that  whatever  might  happen  no  longer  concerned 
them. 

In  this  wretched  plight  they  lay  for  what  seemed 
like  many  days,  but  in  reality  only  until  the  mid 
dle  of  the  next  forenoon,  when,  of  a  sudden,  the 
hatch  above  them  was  removed  and  they  were 
blinded  by  the  flood  of  light  that  followed.  Then 
men  came  to  them  and  they  were  driven  on  deck, 
where,  dazed  and  weak  with  illness,  they  stag 
gered  from  side  to  side  with  the  motion  of  the 
ship.  Their  pitiable  appearance  was  greeted  by 
shouts  of  coarse  mirth  from  the  crew,  who  found 
in  it  a  vastly  entertaining  spectacle. 

The  captives  were  offered  food,  but  refused  it 
with  loathing,  though  they  drank  eagerly  from  a 


196  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

bucket  of  water  placed  beside  them  as  they  sat 
on  deck  at  the  foremast's  foot.  After  a  while 
Nahma  became  sufficiently  revived  by  the  fresh 
air  to  gaze  about  him  with  somewhat  of  interest 
in  his  strange  surroundings.  Everything  was 
marvellous  and  incomprehensible.  Even  the 
bearded  sailors  in  petticoats  and  pigtails,  which 
latter  he  took  to  be  scalp-locks,  were  entirely 
different  from  the  French,  who,  until  now,  were 
the  only  white  men  he  had  known.  Nor 
could  he  comprehend  a  word  of  the  barbarous 
language  in  which  they  conversed.  When  he 
was  tired  of  looking  at  them  he  began  to  won 
der  in  which  direction  lay  the  land,  and  to  turn 
over  in  his  mind  a  plan  for  making  a  quick  rush 
to  the  ship's  side,  leaping  overboard,  and  swim 
ming  to  shore. 

Before  broaching  this  scheme  to  his  comrade 
Nahma  decided  to  get  his  bearings.  So  he 
gained  his  feet  and  mounted  a  scuttle-butt,  by 
which  his  eyes  were  lifted  above  the  level  of  the 
high  bulwarks.  To  his  consternation  there  was 
no  land  in  sight.  Not  so  much  as  a  tree  nor 
a  blue  hill-top  could  he  discover  in  any  direction. 


SOLD   AS   A   SLAVE  197 

His  unaccustomed  eyes  could  not  even  distin 
guish  the  line  of  the  horizon  dividing  a  gray 
sky  from  the  immensity  of  gray  waters  that 
stretched  away  on  all  sides.  The  bewildering 
sight  filled  him  with  a  dread  greater  than  any 
he  had  ever  known,  and  he  slipped  back  to  his 
place  beside  Tasquanto,  utterly  hopeless. 

"  Whether  we  be  going  up  or  down  I  know 
not,"  he  said  to  the  latter;  "but  certain  it  is 
that  we  now  float  among  the  clouds,  with  no 
prospect  of  ever  again  returning  to  the  earth  on 
which  dwell  people  after  our  own  kind.  Already 
are  we  become  Okis." 

"Then  is  it  a  most  unhappy  condition,"  an 
swered  Tasquanto,  "and  the  medicine-men  are 
liars." 

After  a  few  hours  on  deck  our  lads  were  again 
driven  into  the  darkness  and  foulness  of  the  hold ; 
but  on  every  pleasant  day  thereafter  for  weeks 
was  the  process  of  bringing  them  on  deck  for  an 
airing  repeated.  In  times  of  storm  they  were 
kept  below,  with  their  sufferings  immeasurably 
increased  by  sickness,  by  the  violent  pitching 
of  the  ship,  by  lack  of  food  and  water,  and  by 


198  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

terrors  of  the  creakings  and  groanings  that  filled 
the  surrounding  blackness. 

For  more  than  a  month  did  they  thus  suffer, 
hopeless  of  ever  again  sighting  land  or  of  any 
relief  from  their  unhappy  situation.  Then,  to 
Nahma  at  least,  came  the  worst  of  all.  One 
day,  while  they  were  on  deck,  he  suddenly  lifted 
his  head  and  sniffed  the  air. 

"It  is  a  breath  of  earth,"  he  whispered,  as 
though  fearful  of  uttering  the  glad  news  aloud. 
"  I  can  smell  it.  Oh,  my  brother !  to  once 
more  gain  the  freedom  of  a  forest  would  be 
a  happiness  exceeding  any  other.  Let  us  be 
ready  on  the  morrow  when  we  are  again  brought 
into  the  light.  It  may  be  that  we  shall  be  near 
enough  to  swim  to  the  land.  Once  within  cover 
of  the  forest  we  would  never  again  look  upon  the 
face  of  a  white  man." 

About  this  time  they  were  sent  below,  but  that 
faint  scent  of  land  not  yet  distinguished  by  any 
other  on  the  ship  had  infused  them  with  a  new 
hope,  and  for  hours  they  talked  of  what  might 
be  done  on  the  morrow. 

In  the  mean  time  their  ship  was  so  near  the 


SOLD   AS    A    SLAVE  199 

English  coast  that  twenty-four  hours  later  she 
lay  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Plymouth  and  her 
small  boat  was  ready  to  go  ashore. 

"Fetch  me  the  heathen  desired  by  Sir  Ferdi- 
nando,"  ordered  Captain  Dermer. 

"Which  one,  sir?" 

"  Either  will  do.  Call  them  up  and  take  the 
first  that  shows  a  head.  Drive  the  other  back, 
and  keep  him  below  until  my  return." 

"Aye,  aye,  sir." 

So  the  hatch  was  partially  removed,  and  the 
signal  for  which  our  lads  had  waited  so  impatiently 
was  given.  Tasquanto  was  first  to  answer  it  and 
gain  the  deck.  Nahma  followed  closely,  but  was 
met  by  a  blow  that  tumbled  him  back  into  the 
hold.  Then  the  hatch  was  replaced,  and  he  was 
once  more  confronted  by  the  horrors  of  solitary 
confinement. 

For  a  time  he  continued  to  hope  that  he  would 
be  allowed  on  deck,  or  that  his  comrade  would  be 
restored  to  him  ;  but,  as  the  weary  hours  dragged 
slowly  by  without  either  of  these  things  happen 
ing,  these  hopes  grew  fainter  and  fainter  until 
finally  they  vanished. 


200  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

When  food  and  water  were  brought  to  him,  he 
drank  of  the  latter  but  refused  to  eat,  although 
the  food  was  fresh  meat,  the  first  he  had  seen 
since  the  dreadful  day  when  he  had  been  enticed 
aboard  the  ship.  It  was  another  proof  that  they 
were  once  more  near  land.  Perhaps  even  now 
the  forest  for  which  he  longed  was  close  at 
hand,  and  perhaps  people  of  his  own  race  were 
come  off  to  trade.  Perhaps  Tasquanto,  who  had 
picked  up  a  number  of  English  words,  was  acting 
as  interpreter  for  them.  In  that  case  he  would 
doubtless  find  a  chance  for  escape,  though  even 
if  he  should,  Nahma  was  certain  that  he  would 
not  make  use  of  it.  Were  they  not  brothers, 
sworn  to  share  each  other's  fortunes,  good  or  ill, 
to  the  end  ?  No  !  Tasquanto  would  never  de 
sert  him  ;  but  sooner  or  later,  if  he  were  still  alive, 
would  come  again  to  him.  Of  this  our  lad  was 
certain. 

After  a  while  the  lonely  prisoner  fell  asleep, 
and  when  he  next  awoke  the  ship  was  again  in 
motion.  He  felt  about  for  his  companion,  but 
could  not  find  him  ;  he  called  aloud,  but  got  no 
answer.  Then  he  knew  that  he  was  indeed  alone 


SOLD   AS   A   SLAVE  201 

in  the  world  and  that  something  terrible  must 
have  happened  to  Tasquanto.  When  next  he 
was  allowed  on  deck  he  looked  eagerly  for  his 
friend,  and,  seeing  nothing  of  him,  relapsed  into 
a  condition  of  apathy.  He  no  longer  cared  what 
happened,  and  refused  to  eat  the  food  offered 
him. 

"Won't  eat,  eh?"  growled  Captain  Dermer, 
on  learning  of  this  state  of  affairs.  "We'll  see 
about  that." 

The  grizzled  old  mariner's  method  of  seeing 
about  things  was  so  effective  that  the  refractory 
young  Indian  shortly  found  himself  pinned  to  the 
deck  by  two  sailors.  A  third  pinched  his  nose, 
and  when  he  opened  his  mouth  for  breath  poured 
in  hot  soup  that  the  victim  was  obliged  to  swallow 
to  keep  from  choking.  So  he  was  fed  by  force, 
and  his  strength  was  sustained  until  the  ship  once 
more  came  to  anchor. 

As  usual,  Nahma  was  confined  below  when  this 
happened,  and  when  he  was  next  brought  on  deck 
he  was  given  no  time  to  look  about  him  before 
being  seized,  stripped  of  the  foul  garments  that 
he  had  worn  during  the  voyage,  and  scrubbed 


202  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

from  head  to  foot,  roughly  but  thoroughly. 
Then  he  was  provided  with  a  new  suit  of  buck 
skin  that  had  been  acquired  by  trade  from  the 
Abenakis.  He  was  also  given  colors  and  a 
mirror  and  ordered  to  paint  his  face.  Showing 
symptoms  of  disobedience,  he  was  made  to 
understand  that  one  of  the  crew  would  do  it 
for  him  ;  and,  rather  than  be  thus  disfigured,  he 
reluctantly  complied.  After  he  had  satisfactorily 
decorated  himself,  greatly  to  the  amusement  of 
the  crew,  he  was  left  to  his  own  devices  and 
allowed  to  wander  about  the  deck  as  he  pleased. 

Gaining  a  position  where  he  could  see  beyond 
the  ship's  side,  he  was  as  amazed  and  bewildered 
as  though  he  had  been  transported  to  another 
planet,  for  the  vessel  had  ascended  the  Thames, 
and  his  outlook  was  upon  London. 

Not  a  tree  was  to  be  seen,  not  a  green  thing, 
only  houses,  until  it  seemed  as  though  the  whole 
world  must  be  covered  with  them.  Even  the  river 
disappeared  beneath  houses  built  in  a  double  row 
on  a  bridge  that  spanned  it  a  short  distance  away. 
The  ship  was  moored  beside  a  great  dingy  build 
ing,  from  and  into  which  men  came  and  went  as 


SOLD   AS   A    SLAVE  203 

thickly  as  bees  swarming'  about  a  hollow  tree  in 
his  native  woods. 

Although  no  such  clouds  of  smoke  hung  above 
London  then  as  infold  it  to-day,  there  was  enough 
to  impress  our  young  savage  with  the  belief  that 
a  forest  fire  must  be  raging  just  beyond  the  build 
ings  that  obstructed  his  view.  This  belief  was 
strengthened  by  the  ceaseless  roar  of  the  city, 
that,  to  him,  held  the  same  elements  of  terror  as 
the  awful  voice  of  a  wide-spread  conflagration. 

If  Tasquanto  were  only  with  him  that  they 
might  discuss  these  things.  But,  alas  !  he  was 
alone,  as  unfitted  for  a  life-struggle  amid  those 
heretofore  undreamed-of  surroundings  as  a  new 
born  babe,  and,  like  it,  unprovided  with  a  lan 
guage  understandable  by  those  about  him.  Set 
down  in  the  heart  of  a  primeval  forest  he  would 
have  been  perfectly  at  home  ;  but  face  to  face  with 
this  hideous  wilderness  of  human  construction 
he  was  appalled  at  his  own  insignificance  and 
utter  helplessness. 

As  he  turned  away  terror-stricken  he  noticed 
that  several  persons  gathered  about  Captain 
Dermer  were  regarding  him  curiously.  One 


204  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

of  them,  a  young  man  of  about  Nahma's  own 
age,  apparently  touched  by  the  hopeless  expres 
sion  on  our  lad's  painted  face,  stepped  towards 
him  with  outstretched  hand. 

"Winslow,"  he  said,  pointing  to  himself. 

"  Massasoit,"  answered  the  other,  promptly, 
and  indicating  his  own  person. 

Although  he  could  not  understand  the  new 
comer's  words  he  appreciated  the  hearty  grip  of 
his  hand,  and,  gazing  into  his  honest  eyes,  felt 
that  here  was  one  who  might  become  a  friend. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  him?"  in 
quired  Winslow,  stepping  back  beside  Captain 
Dermer. 

"  Let  him  go  when  he  can  pay  his  passage- 
money,  or  turn  him  over  to  the  first  person  who 
will  pay  it  for  him,"  was  the  reply. 

"  What  is  the  sum  ?" 

"  Twenty  pounds,  no  more  nor  less." 

"I  have  not  that  amount  with  me,  but  if  you 
will  give  me  a  day  or  two  I  think  I  can  get  it. 
Will  you  keep  him  until'  I  come  again  ?" 

"Unless  some  other  turns  up  in  the  mean  time 
equally  desirous  of  accommodating  him." 


SOLD   AS   A    SLAVE  205 

"  Captain,  I  vill  pay  the  money  on  the  spot," 
exclaimed  a  voice,  and  wheeling  about,  Winslow 
saw  a  man  of  sporty  aspect  arrayed  in  tawdry 
imitation  of  a  gentleman,  and  of  a  decidedly 
Hebraic  cast  of  countenance.  He  was  extending 
a  handful  of  gold  pieces,  which  Captain  Dermer 
took  and  counted. 

"It  is  a  trade,"  he  said.  "Take  him  and  may 
luck  go  with  you." 

Thus  was  sold,  in  the  city  of  London,  a  free- 
born  native  American  ;  and  he  was  but  one  of 
many  New  World  people  who  shared  a  similar 
fate  both  before  and  afterwards. 


CHAPTER    XX 

ONE    FRIENDLY    FACE 

THE  man  who  on  pretence  of  paying  Nahma's 
passage-money  had  in  reality  bought  him  was  a 
well-known  London  fur-dealer,  who  had  visited 
the  ship  to  appraise  her  cargo.  The  young 
fellow  who  had  extended  to  our  forlorn  lad  the 
hand  of  friendship,  and  who,  but  for  lack  of  ready 
means,  would  have  redeemed  him  from  a  threat 
ened  slavery,  was  a  Mr.  Edward  Winslow.  He 
was  the  youngest  son  of  a  well-to-do  Devon 
family,  who  had  taken  a  degree  at  Oxford  and 
was  now  reading  law  in  the  Temple.  He  was 
intensely  interested  in  America  and  everything 
pertaining  to  it.  Thus,  on  hearing  that  a  ship  just 
arrived  from  the  New  World  was  in  the  Thames, 
he  hastened  to  board  her,  that  he  might  converse 
with  those  who  had  so  recently  trod  the  shores  he 
longed  to  visit.  Nahma  was  the  first  American 
he  had  ever  seen,  and  he  regarded  him  with  a 

lively  curiosity  that  was  changed  to  pity  at  sight 
206 


ONE   FRIENDLY  FACE  207 

of  his  hopeless  face.  Now  he  turned  fiercely  on 
the  Jew  who  by  payment  of  a  paltry  sum  of  money 
had  become  master  of  the  young  stranger's  fate. 

"What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  him?"  he 
asked. 

"Vat  vould  you  have  done  mit  him  yourself 
had  your  purse  been  as  full  as  your  stomach?" 
asked  the  other,  impudently. 

"  I  would  have  found  for  him  a  home  in  which 
he  might  be  taught  Christianity  and  civilization, 
and  then  I  would  have  taken  the  first  opportunity 
for  sending"  him  back  to  his  own  land." 

o 

"  Mayhap  those  be  the  very  things  I  also  vould 
do  by  the  young  heathen  ;  who  knows  ?"  replied 
the  furrier,  with  a  leer.  "At  any  rate,  I  have 
charge  of  him  now,  and  vill  take  him  at  once  to 
my  happy  home.  You  may  set  him  ashore  for 
me,  captain." 

"  Not  I,"  responded  Captain  Dermer.  "  I  have 
no  longer  aught  to  do  with  him.  Take  him 
ashore  yourself." 

Thus  confronted  with  his  new  responsibility, 
the  man  approached  Nahma  and,  seizing  him 
roughly  by  an  arm,  said,  "  Come  mit  me,  heathen." 


208  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

With  a  quick  motion  the  young  Indian  wrenched 
himself  free  and  faced  his  new  master  with  so 
fierce  a  look  that  the  latter  involuntarily  quailed 
beneath  it  and  stepped  back. 

"  Ah  !"  he  snarled,  ''that's  your  game,  is  it? 
Ve'll  see  who  comes  out  best." 

With  this  he  called  to  some  men  of  his  employ 
who  were  hoisting  out  bales  of  furs  and  bade 
them  come  to  him,  bringing  a  stout  cord. 

"  Hold  !"  cried  Winslow,  stepping  beside  the 
young  Indian.  "  See  you  not  that  he  is  desperate, 
and  that  if  you  try  to  bind  him  there  will  be 
bloodshed?  He  will  surely  kill  you,  if  he  dies 
for  it  the  next  moment.  Leave  him  to  me  and 
I  will  guarantee  to  take  him  where  you  may 
desire,  only  I  give  you  warning  to  treat  him  de 
cently  and  without  violence." 

Thus  saying  the  speaker  held  out  his  hand  to 
Nahma,  and  by  signs  intimated  that  he  was  to 
accompany  him. 

By  instinct  the  young  American  had  recognized 
this  youth  as  a  friend,  and  now  he  unhesitatingly 
left  the  ship  in  his  company. 

As  a  mob  would  have  been  attracted  by  the 


ONE    FRIENDLY   FACE  209 

appearance  of  an  American  Indian  in  the  crowded 
streets,  a  covered  cart  belonging  to  the  furrier 
was  procured,  and  in  it  our  lad  was  driven  to  a 
rear  entrance  of  his  master's  shop,  which  fronted 
on  a  fashionable  thoroughfare,  while  the  others 
reached  the  same  place  on  foot. 

During  that  bewildering  ride  Nahma  sat  with 
stolid  face  but  with  keen  eyes,  taking  in  all  the 
marvellous  details  of  his  surroundings.  Next 
to  the  throngs  of  people  hurrying  to  and  fro 
along  the  narrow,  crooked,  and  ill-paved  streets, 
the  appearance  of  horses  most  impressed  him, 
for  never  had  he  seen  beasts  at  once  so  large 
and  so  completely  under  the  control  of  man. 

No  word  passed  between  Winslow  and  the 
furrier  until  their  destination  was  reached.  Then 
the  latter  asked,  sneeringly, — 

"  Now,  me  lud,  vat  vill  your  'ighness  do  next?" 

"  I  will  go  inside  and  see  him  disposed,"  replied 
the  young  man,  calmly. 

"Oh,  veil,  come  in  and  view  the  royal  apart 
ments,"  said  the  other,  willing  to  have  Winslow 
continue  his  responsibility  until  the  new  acquisi 
tion  was  safely  housed. 

14 


210  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

So  the  young  Indian  was  taken  from  the  cart 
and  led  into  the  shop,  causing  a  buzz  of  excite 
ment  among  the  few  who  saw  him  climbing  a 
narrow  back  stairway.  He  was  finally  guided  to 
a  small  chamber  directly  beneath  the  roof  and 
lighted  by  a  single  window  that  could  not  be 
opened.  Had  it  not  been  for  Winslow's  reas 
suring  presence,  Nahma  would  have  refused  to 
ascend  those  stairs,  which,  being  the  first  he 
had  ever  encountered,  filled  him  with  dismay. 

After  Winslow  had  seen  the  stranger  in  whom 
he  took  so  great  an  interest  thus  safely  placed 
for  the  present  and  the  furrier  had  locked  the 
door  on  his  captive,  the  two  descended  again  to 
the  shop. 

"What  will  you  now  do  with  him  ?"  asked  the 

former. 

"It  may  be  I  vill  train  him  to  my  business  and 
send  him   out  to   America  as  a  fur-buyer,"  an 
swered  the  other.     "  Maybe  I  vill  keep  him  as  a 
curiosity.       I  have  not  yet  decided  ;  but  vatever 
I  do  is  no  concern  of  yours." 
"  Will  you  sell  him  to  me  ?" 
"  Maybe  so  ven  I  see  your  money." 


ONE    FRIENDLY   FACE  211 

With  this  Winslow  was  forced  to  be  content, 
and  he  departed  with  the  hope  of  redeeming 
his  newly  made  friend  and  of  carrying  out  his 
vaguely  formed  intentions  concerning  him.  Al 
though  twenty  pounds  was  not  a  large  sum,  it 
would  embarrass  him  to  procure  it,  since  his 
family,  though  well-to-do,  were  not  people  of 
wealth,  and  he  was  living  on  a  monthly  allowance 
so  small  as  barely  to  support  him  in  gentility. 

In  the  mean  time  Nahma,  left  to  his  own  melan 
choly  company,  gazed  from  his  window  over  the 
roofs  and  chimney-pots  of  London,  feeling  that 
no  greater  evils  could  possibly  befall  him,  and 
yet  wondering  vaguely  what  would  happen  next. 
Food  was  brought  to  him  and  water,  but  no 
change  in  his  situation  took  place  until  the  follow 
ing  morning. 

Then  his  master  appeared  accompanied  by  a 
coarse-featured  man  of  evident  strength,  whom 
the  furrier  had  engaged  to  be  keeper  of  his  new 
treasure.  By  them  the  young  Indian  was  taken 
down  to  the  shop,  where  a  small  platform  had 
been  prepared  for  him.  It  was  covered  and 
surrounded  with  costly  furs,  and  here  Nahma  was 


212  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

seated  with  a  fur  robe  draped  across  his  shoulders. 
Close  at  hand  stood  his  keeper  to  see  that  he 
neither  escaped  nor  did  injury  to  any  about  him. 
With  the  tableau  arranged,  a  stout  'prentice  lad 
took  a  stand  just  outside  the  street  entrance  and 
cried  in  lusty  tones  the  novel  attraction  to  be 
seen  within. 

"  Step  this  way,  lords  and  ladies.  Come  all  ye 
gentlefolk,  attend  the  reception  of  his  Highness, 
a  native  American  cannibal  prince  just  arrived 
from  the  New  World.  Look  within  !  Look  with 
in  !  Under  the  sign  of  the  Ermine  Royal  sits  he. 
Free  of  charge  are  all  gentlefolk  invited  to  meet 
him.  This  wray,  lords  and  ladies.  Look  within  !" 

To  this  novel  reception  none  but  the  well- 
dressed  and  evidently  well-to-do  were  admitted, 
since  the  poor  could  not  be  expected  to  purchase 
furs  then  any  more  than  now.  And  there  would 
have  been  no  room  for  them  in  the  limited  space 
of  the  dingy  little  shop  even  had  they  been  ad 
mitted,  for  ere  long  it  was  crowded  with  fashion 
able  folk  eager  to  be  entertained  by  a  novelty, 
while  their  retainers  filled  the  street.  The  spec 
tators  stared  at  Nahma  and  listened  with  credu- 


ONE    FRIENDLY  FACE  213 

lous  ears  to  the  marvellous  tales  told  concerning- 

o 

him  by  the  furrier,  who,  clad  in  gorgeous  raiment, 
acted  the  parts  of  host  and  showman.  Also 
many  of  them  purchased  furs,  which  was  more  to 
the  purpose.  Never  had  the  Ermine  Royal  done 
such  a  business,  and  never  had  its  proprietor 
greater  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  a  venture. 

Amid  all  came  Edward  Winslow  with  his 
twenty  pounds,  which  he  proffered  to  the  Jew 
in  return  for  Nahma's  release.  But  the  latter 
laughed  him  to  scorn. 

"  For  twenty  pund  did  you  think  to  get  him,  me 
lud  ?  Nay,  that  was  the  price  I  paid,  as  you  veil 
know,  and  I  must  at  least  double  my  money. 
Forty  pund  is  my  lowest  offer,  and  fifty  if  he 
continues  to  attract  trade  as  at  present.  Speech 
mit  him  ?  I  have  no  objection,  only  have  a 
care  that  you  seek  not  to  seduce  him  from  my 
service,  or  a  thing  might  happen  not  to  your 
liking." 

Keenly  disappointed  at  this  result  of  his  under 
taking,  the  young  man  pushed  his  way  through 
the  crowd  until  he  stood  close  to  the  platform, 
when  he  called,  softly, — 


214  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

"  Massasoit." 

Instantly  a  glad  light  flashed  into  the  eyes  of 
the  dejected  figure  thus  set  up  for  a  show,  and, 
turning  eagerly  in  that  direction,  he  exclaimed, — 

"  Winslow." 

Then  the  two  friends  clasped  hands,  and  Wins- 
low  managed  to  convey  the  information  that  he 
would  come  again  on  the  morrow. 

He  kept  his  promise  ;  and,  though  he  had  not 
succeeded  in  securing  the  money  necessary  to 
redeem  the  young  Indian,  his  visit  brought  much 
comfort.  For  many  days  thereafter  he  came 
regularly,  often  bringing  some  little  thing  that  he 
thought  might  give  pleasure ;  and  these  daily 
glimpses  of  a  friendly  face  were  the  only  rays 
of  light  penetrating  the  unhappy  darkness  of 
Nahma's  captivity.  He  was  never  allowed  to 
leave  the  building,  and  was  only  marched  to  and 
fro  up  and  down  those  weary  stairs  between  the 
den  in  which  he  lived  and  the  hated  platform  on 
which  he  was  exhibited  to  gaping  customers. 

At  the  end  of  three  weeks  Winslow,  having 
received  his  month's  allowance  and  so  raised  the 
necessary  forty  pounds,  tendered  it  to  the  fur- 


ONE   FRIENDLY  FACE  215 

dealer  for  the  release  of  his  slave,  only  to  be  told 
that  the  price  had  again  been  doubled. 

Upon  this  the  young  man  flew  into  a  rage  and 
there  was  an  exchange  of  bitter  words,  that  ended 
in  Winslow  being  told  to  mind  his  own  affairs 
and  not  attempt  an  interference  with  those  that 
did  not  concern  him.  As  several  'prentice  lads 
had  gathered  near  during  this  quarrel  and  stood 
eagerly  awaiting  their  master's  permission  to 
pounce  upon  the  stranger,  he  realized  the  weak 
ness  of  his  position,  and  prudently  ended  the 
affair  by  withdrawing  from  the  scene.  At  the 
same  time  he  was  as  determined  as  ever  to  effect 
Nahma's  deliverance,  and  that  speedily. 

For  this  purpose  he  invited  a  number  of  the 
more  reckless  of  his  Temple  companions  to  a 
dinner,  at  which  he  told  the  story  of  Massasoit 
and  enlisted  their  sympathies  in  his  behalf.  Then 
he  proposed  a  rescue,  to  which  they  enthusias 
tically  agreed. 

According  to  this  plan  they  were  to  meet  near 
the  furrier's  shop  at  the  busiest  hour  of  the 
second  day  from  then,  each  man  wearing  his 
sword,  and  prepared  to  use  it  if  necessary.  There 


216  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

they  were  to  mingle  with  the  sight-seers  and 
resist  any  attempts  at  interference  with  the  move 
ments  of  Winslow.  The  latter  undertook  to 
spirit  the  young  Indian  out  of  the  same  rear 
entrance  through  which  he  had  first  been  brought, 
into  an  unfrequented  alley,  while  one  of  his 
friends  should  for  a  moment  distract  the  attention 
of  the  keeper. 

To  perfect  the  details  of  this  scheme  and  provide 
a  safe  retreat  for  him  whom  they  proposed  to  res 
cue  occupied  two  days,  and  then  all  was  in  readi 
ness.  At  this  point  the  would-be  rescuers  were 
confronted  by  an  unforeseen  and  insurmountable 
obstacle.  The  young  Indian  had  disappeared. 
He  was  no  longer  an  inmate  of  the  furrier's  shop, 
and  no  one  could  or  would  give  the  slightest  infor 
mation  concerning  him. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

A    CHANGE    OF    MASTERS 

FOR  some  days  Nahma's  master  had  been  un 
easy  about  him.  Close  confinement,  lack  of  ex 
ercise  and  fresh  air,  and  a  hopeless  melancholy 
were  so  telling"  upon  the  captive  that  his  health 
was  seriously  affected.  He  was  thin  and  miser 
able,  had  no  appetite,  and  suffered  from  a  hacking 
cough.  These  things  troubled  the  fur-dealer,  not 
because  of  his  humanity,  for  he  had  none,  but 
because  of  a  prospect  of  losing  the  money  he  had 
invested  in  this  bit  of  perishable  property.  He 
was  also  alarmed  by  Winslow's  interest  in  the 
young  Indian,  and  feared  the  very  thing  that  the 
former  had  planned. 

Then,  too,  one  of  his  gentleman  customers  had 
suggested  that  when  the  fact  of  an  American 
prince  being  in  London  came  to  the  king's  ears 
he  would  probably  order  him  to  be  brought  to  the 
palace.  In  that  case,  as  the  furrier  well  knew,  he 
would  never  be  recompensed  for  his  outlay,  since 

217 


218  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

King  James  was  not  given  to  spending  unneces 
sary  money,  and  he  might  even  be  called  to 
account  for  holding  a  royal  personage  in  cap 
tivity.  He  wished  now  that  he  had  not  de 
scribed  his  Indian  as  a  prince  ;  and,  all  things 
considered,  decided  that  the  sooner  he  got  rid 
of  him  the  better  off  he  would  be. 

It  happened  that  while  he  was  in  this  frame  of 
mind  he  was  visited  by  a  travelling  mountebank, 
whose  business  was  to  exhibit  freaks  and  curiosi 
ties  of  whatsoever  kind  he  could  obtain,  at  coun 
try  fairs.  Having  heard  of  the  fur-dealer's  Indian, 
he  went  to  see  him,  and  was  so  impressed  with  his 
value  as  an  attraction  that  he  promptly  offered 
ten  pounds  for  him. 

"Already  haf  I  refused  forty,"  replied  the 
furrier. 

"It  was  doubtless  offered  when  he  was  in  con 
dition.  Now,  as  any  one  may  see,  he  is  on  the 
verge  of  a  quick  decline  and  is  like  to  die  on 
your  hands.  It  would  be  a  risk  to  take  him  at 
any  price,  and  it  will  cost  a  pretty  penny  to 
restore  him  to  health,  without  which  he  is  of  no 
more  value  than  a  mangy  dog." 


A    CHANGE    OF    MASTERS  219 

6 

"  But  I  haf  advanced  twenty  pund  for  his 
passage-money,  and  haf  been  at  the  expense  of 
his  keep  ever  since." 

"A  cost  that  has  been  repaid  a  thousand-fold 
by  the  advertisement  he  has  given  your  wares. 
But  to  insure  you  against  loss,  which  I  well 
know  a  Jew  hates  worse  than  death  itself,  I  will 
give  twenty  pounds  for  the  varlet,  sick  and 
scrawny  though  he  be.  •  What  say  you  ?  Is 
it  a  bargain  ?" 

"  Hand  over  the  price  and  he  is  yours." 

Of  course  the  subject  of  this  barter  was  not 
consulted  concerning  it.  Nor  did  he  know  any 
thing  of  the  change  about  to  come  over  his  life 
until  darkness  had  fallen.  Then,  as  he  lay  on  his 
bed  of  musty  straw,  dreaming  of  the  free  forest 
life  that  was  once  his,  he  was  startled  by  the  en 
trance  into  his  room  of  two  men,  one  of  whom 
bore  a  rush-light.  In  him  Nahma  recognized  his 
hated  keeper,  but  the  other  was  a  stranger. 

"  Come,"  said  the  former,  gruffly  ;  and,  glad 
of  any  break  in  the  deadly  monotony  of  his  life, 
Nahma  obediently  followed  him,  while  the  other 
brought  up  the  rear. 


220  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

Down-stairs  they  went  and  out  into  the  dark 
ness  of  the  streets,  where  each  of  the  men 
grasped  him  by  an  arm  as  though  fearful  that  he 
might  attempt  an  escape.  The  young  Indian 
smiled  bitterly  as  he  realized  this,  for  nothing  was 
further  from  his  thought.  In  all  that  wilderness 
of  houses  he  had  but  one  friend,  and  he  knew  no 
more  where  to  look  for  Winslow  than  he  would 
if  the  latter  were  dead.  To  him  all  other  white 
men  represented  cruelty  and  injustice,  therefore 
nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  escaping  from  those 
who  held  him.  He  would  only  fall  into  the 
clutches  of  others  against  whom  he  would  be 
equally  powerless.  So  he  went  along  quietly 
and  with  apparent  willingness,  somewhat  to  the 
surprise  of  his  new  master. 

"  I  fail  to  note  but  that  he  goes  readily  enough," 
he  remarked.  "  Methought  you  said  he  was 
vicious  and  like  to  prove  troublesome." 

"  Oh,  he's  quiet  enough  now,"  replied  the 
other,  "but  wait  and  see.  They're  as  treacher 
ous,  these  Hammerican  savages,  as  cats.  Purr 
till  they  see  a  good  chance  and  then  scratch.  If 
they  draw  life's  blood  they're  all  the  more  pleased. 


A   CHANGE   OF   MASTERS  221 

I  knows  'em,  for  I've  had  experience,  and  my  word ! 
but  you've  got  to  watch  'em  every  minute." 

It  was  by  such  representations  that  the  keeper 
hoped  to  induce  the  showman  to  continue  him  in 
his  present  easy  position.  Now  he  wished  that 
his  charge  would  make  some  aggressive  exhibition 
merely  to  demonstrate  the  necessity  for  his  own 
presence.  He  slyly  pinched  the  prisoner's  arm 
until  it  was  ready  to  bleed,  with  the  hope  of  at 
least  causing  him  to  cry  out ;  but  Nahma  endured 
the  pain  with  all  the  stoicism  of  his  race  and  gave 
no  sign. 

Thus  they  proceeded  through  a  weary  labyrinth 
of  foul  streets,  only  lighted  at  long  intervals  by 
flaring  torches  borne  by  retainers  of  well-to-do 
pedestrians,  until  finally  they  turned  into  the 
yard  of  a  rambling  tavern  that  stood  on  the  out 
skirts  of  the  town.  It  was  a  famous  resort  for 
wagoners  who  transported  goods  to  and  from 
all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  its  court  was  now 
crowded  with  ponderous  vehicles  and  their  lading. 

Here  Nahma  was  thrust  for  safe-keeping  into 
an  outhouse,  the  air  of  which  was  close  and  foul, 
and  its  door  was  barred  behind  him.  To  our  un- 


222  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

happy  lad  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole  remainder  of 
his  life  was  to  be  marked  only  by  a  succession  of 
imprisonments,  each  more  dismal  than  its  prede 
cessor.  In  Quebec  he  had  had  Tasquanto's  com 
panionship  and  an  open  window.  On  shipboard 
he  had  been  given  the  same  comrade  and  a  daily 
outing.  In  the  furrier's  establishment  he  had  had 
a  window  and  an  occasional  hand-clasp  from  Wins- 
low  ;  but  here  he  was  alone,  in  absolute  darkness, 
and  gasping  for  a  breath  of  fresh  air. 

The  wretched  night  finally  came  to  an  end,  and 
with  the  first  gray  of  morning  his  new  master 
appeared,  bringing  an  armful  of  coarse  clothing, 
soiled  and  worn.  Stripping  Nahma  of  his  buck 
skin  suit,  he  compelled  him  to  don  these  ill-fitting 
garments,  and  then  left  him  a  platter  of  bones  for 
his  breakfast. 

A  little  later  they  were  on  the  road,  and,  to  his 
amazement,  Nahma  found  himself  leading  a  bear. 
It  was  a  big  brown  bear,  and  its  whole  head  was 
enclosed  in  a  stout  muzzle  ;  but,  in  spite  of  this, 
our  young  Indian,  who  had  never  heard  of  a  tame 
bear,  felt  anything  but  comfortable  at  finding  him 
self  in  such  company  unarmed.  Besides  himself 


A    CHANGE    OF   MASTERS  223 

and  the  bear,  the  party  was  made  up  of  the  show 
man,  a  cadaverous  youth  answering  to  the  name 
of  ''Blink,"  who  afterwards  proved  to  be  a  con 
tortionist,  and  a  heavily  laden  pack-horse.  To 
Nahma's  relief,  the  big  man  who  had  acted  as  his 
keeper  was  no  longer  of  the  company. 

For  a  time  our  lad  was  so  taken  up  with  his 
bear  and  the  discomforts  of  his  unaccustomed 
clothing  that  he  paid  but  slight  attention  to  his 
surroundings.  Then,  all  of  a  sudden,  he  uttered 
a  cry  of  amazed  delight,  for  they  were  entering  a 
forest.  No  longer  were  houses  to  be  seen,  no 
longer  was  the  horrid  din  of  the  city  to  be  heard. 
Once  more  was  he  beneath  green  trees,  with  the 
songs  of  birds  ringing  in  his  ears  and  the  smell  of 
the  woods  in  his  nostrils.  He  drew  in  long  breaths 
of  the  scented  air,  and  a  new  light  came  into  his 
eyes.  Having  found  a  forest,  might  he  not 
also  hope  to  discover  people  of  his  own  kind  ? 
If  there  were  forests  in  this  strange  land  and 
bears,  why  should  there  not  also  be  Indians  ? 
At  any  rate,  he  would  keep  a  sharp  watch,  and 
if  he  should  see  any,  how  quickly  he  would  take 
leave  of  his  present  companions  and  join  them  ! 


224  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

That  night  they  lay  at  an  inn,  where  an  iron 
shackle  was  locked  about  one  of  Nahma's  ankles, 
and,  with  the  bear,  he  was  chained  up  in  a  stable. 
On  the  following  day  they  reached  a  straggling 
country  town  in  which  a  fair  was  to  be  held  and 
where  they  were  to  give  an  exhibition.  Here 
they  pitched  a  tent.  Nahma's  suit  of  buckskin 
was  restored  to  him,  and  he  was  again  made  to 
paint  his  face. 

In  this  first  exhibition  he  had  nothing  to  do  but 
stand  and  be  stared  at  by  curfous  rustics,  but 
after  this  he  was  taught  and  encouraged  to  per 
form  a  number  of  acts  in  company  with  the  bear. 
One  of  these  was  to  shoot,  with  bow  and  arrow, 
an  apple,  or  some  other  small  object,  from  the 
animal's  head.  Then  they  would  wrestle  to 
gether,  and  finally  a  sort  of  a  dance  was  arranged 
for  them,  in  which  Blink,  made  up  as  a  clown  for 
the  occasion,  also  took  part.  Thus  the  show  be 
came  so  unique  and  popular  that  its  proprietor 
coined  more  money  than  any  other  on  the 
road. 

But  with  prosperity  came  an  evil  more  terrible 
even  than  adversity  ;  for,  with  money  to  spend, 


A   CHANGE    OF   MASTERS  225 

the  showman  began  to  squander  it  in  gambling  and 
drinking  until  it  was  a  rare  thing  for  him  to  draw 
a  sober  breath.  He  became  quarrelsome  with 
his  intimates  and  brutal  to  those  in  his  power. 
His  poor  bear  was  beaten  and  tortured  to  make 
it  learn  new  tricks  until  it  became  a  snarling, 
morose  beast,  influenced  only  by  fear,  and  dan 
gerous  to  all  except  the  young  Indian,  who  was 
its  fellow-sufferer.  He,  too,  was  abused,  starved, 
beaten,  and  in  all  ways  maltreated  for  not  learning 
faster  and  pouring  more  money  into  his  master's 
bottomless  pockets. 

One  day,  while  Nahma  and  the  bear  were 
wearily  performing  their  antics  before  a  crowd 
of  gaping  yokels  in  the  market-place  of  a  small 
shire  town  in  the  west,  the  youth's  attention  was 
drawn  to  a  child  who  was  uttering  shrill  cries  of 
pleasure.  She  was  a  dainty  little  thing  with 
flaxen  hair  and  blue  eyes,  exquisitely  dressed, 
and  was  in  charge  of  a  maid.  They  had  come 
from  a  coach  that  was  drawn  up  before  a  shop 
near  by,  and  the  throng  had  opened  to  make 
way  for  them  until  they  stood  in  the  very  front 
rank. 

15 


226  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

Suddenly  the  child,  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight, 
pulled  away  from  her  nurse  and  ran  forward  with 
the  evident  intention  of  caressing  the  bear  as 
though  he  had  been  a  big  dog.  The  brute  was 
so  tired,  hungry,  and  cross  that  Nahma  had  with 
difficulty  kept  him  to  his  work.  Now,  with  a  snarl 
and  a  fierce  gleam  in  his  small  bloodshot  eyes, 
he  raised  a  threatening  paw  as  though  to  sweep 
away  the  little  fluttering  thing  that  came  running 
so  confidently  towards  him. 

A  great  cry  rose  from  the  crowd.  The  maid, 
so  terrified  as  to  be  incapable  of  motion,  screamed 
and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands  ;  but  Nahma, 
darting  forward,  snatched  the  child  from  under 
the  descending  paw.  So  narrow  was  the  escape 
that  his  left  arm  was  torn  from  shoulder  to  elbow 
by  the  cruel  claws,  and  he  staggered  beneath  the 
blow. 

The  showman,  who  had  been  passing  his  cap 
among  the  spectators,  ran  to  the  bear  and,  beat 
ing  him  over  the  head  with  a  stout  cudgel,  drove 
him  to  his  quarters  in  a  near-by  stable.  Part  of 
the  populace  cheered  Nahma,  while  others  de 
manded  the  death  of  the  bear,  and  amid  all  the 


A    CHANGE   OF    MASTERS  227 

confusion  came  the  mother  of  the  little  girl, 
frantic  with  terror.  To  her  our  lad  delivered 
the  child,  frightened  but  unharmed.  Then,  with 
out  waiting  to  be  rewarded,  or  even  thanked,  he 
ran  to  look  after  his  friend  the  bear. 


CHAPTER    XXII 

NAHMA  AND  THE  BEAR  RUN  AWAY 

NAHMA  found  the  showman  and  Blink  engaged 
in  a  violent  dispute  over  the  bear.  The  former 
was  insisting  that  Blink  should  escape,  with  the 
animal,  from  the  rear  of  the  stable  and  lead  it 
to  a  place  of  concealment  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
villacre,  where  he  would  join  them  later.  In  the 
mean  time  he  would  divert  the  attention  of  the 
mob  until  the  escape  could  be  made.  Blink,  who 
was  not  on  friendly  terms  with  the  bear,  was  re 
fusing  on  the  ground  that,  with  the  animal  in  its 
present  temper,  his  life  would  not  be  worth  a 
moment's  purchase. 

"Then  let  the  heathen  take  him,  and  do  you 
go  along  to  see  that  they  do  not  give  us  the  slip," 
exclaimed  the  man,  as  Nahma  appeared  and  a 
howl  from  the  mob  announced  their  approach. 
Their  interest  had  been  distracted  for  a  minute 
while  they  watched  the  lady  with  the  frightened 
228 


NAHMA    AND   THE    BEAR    RUN   AWAY      229 

child  in  her  arms  regain  her  coach,  which  was 
immediately  driven  away.  Now  they  were  ready 
to  settle  with  the  bear,  and  turned  towards  the 
stable  in  which  he  had  taken  refuge.  As  they 
drew  near  the  showman,  who,  though  a  brute, 
was  no  coward,  appeared  in  its  open  doorway 
and  confronted  them. 

<(Good  my  masters,"  he  cried,  ''what  seek 
you  ?" 

" Thy  bear!"  roared  a  dozen  voices.  "Bring 
forth  thy  bear  that  we  may  bait  him.  He  is  not 
fit  to  live,  and  must  be  slain." 

Again  the  showman  attempted  to  speak,  but 
his  voice  was  drowned  in  the  bedlam  of  cries 
raised  by  the  mob  ;  and,  losing  control  of  his 
temper,  he  shook  his  cudgel  defiantly  at  them. 
Upon  this  a  shower  of  stones  was  hurled  at  him, 
and  one  of  them  striking  him  on  the  head,  he 
staggered  and  fell.  At  this  the  mob  halted,  and 
some  even  sneaked  away,  fearful  of  consequences. 
The  village  barber,  who  was  also  its  surgeon, 
bustled  forward  to  make  an  examination  of  the 
wounded  man.  He  was  conscious,  but  in  spite 
of,  or  possibly  on  account  of,  copious  bloodletting, 


2  3o  THE   BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

which  was  the  only  remedy  administered,  he  died 
a  few  hours  later. 

So  completely  was  public  attention  distracted 
by  this  tragic  event,  that  for  a  time  no  thought 
was  given  to  the  original  cause  of  the  disturbance, 
and,  finally,  when  search  was  made  for  the  bear, 
he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Not  until  the  follow 
ing  day  was  any  trace  discovered  of  those  who 
had  been  in  the  showman's  company.  Then  the 
one  known  as  "  Blink"  was  found  on  the  edge  of 
a  wood,  helplessly  bound  and  half  dead  from  a 
night  of  cold  and  terror.  He  could  only  tell  that, 
having  escaped  with  the  bear  and  the  heathen, 
the  latter  had  suddenly  set  upon  him  without 
warning  or  provocation  and  reduced  him  to  the 
condition  in  which  he  was  discovered.  What  had 
become  of  them  or  whither  they  had  gone  he 
knew  not,  nor  did  he  care.  He  only  hoped  he 
would  never  again  set  eyes  on  the  savage  mon 
sters  who  were  so  unfit  for  Christian  company. 

In  the  mean  time  Nahma  and  Jiis  companions 
had  found  no  difficulty  in  leaving  the  village  un 
noticed,  since  all  public  attention  was  for  the 
moment  drawn  in  the  opposite  direction.  Thus 


NAHMA   AND   THE   BEAR    RUN   AWAY      231 

they  successfully  gained  the  woodland  that  had 
been  appointed  by  the  showman  as  a  place  of  ren- 
devzous.  Here  the  young  American  suddenly  real 
ized  that  only  Blink  stood  between  him  and  the 
freedom  for  which  he  longed.  Up  to  this  time 
he  had  been  shackled  at  night  and  so  closely 
watched  by  day  that  no  chance  of  escape  had 
offered.  Now  one  had  come,  and  so  quick  was 
our  lad  to  take  advantage  of  it  that  within  a 
minute  the  unsuspecting  Blink  was  lying  help 
lessly  bound  hand  and  foot  with  his  own  ker 
chief  and  a  sash  that  formed  part  of  his  profes 
sional  costume.  Thus  was  he  left,  while  Nahma 
and  the  bear,  whom  the  former  now  regarded  as 
his  sole  friend  in  all  the  world,  plunged  into  the 
forest  depths  and  disappeared. 

The  England  of  that  long-ago  date  was  a  very 
different  country  from  the  England  of  to-day,  and 
its  entire  population  hardly  exceeded  two  millions 
of  souls.  Its  few  cities  were  small,  and  connected 
by  highways  so  abominable  that  travellers  fre 
quently  lost  their  way  while  trying  to  follow  them. 
Not  more  than  one-quarter  of  the  arable  lands 
were  under  cultivation,  while  the  remainder  was 


232  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

covered  with  dark  forests  and  great  fens,  marshes, 
and  desolate  moors  across  which  one  might  jour 
ney  for  a  day  without  sight  of  human  habitation. 
Game  of  all  kinds  abounded,  and  its  hunting 
formed  the  chief  recreation  of  the  gentry  and  of 
those  nobles  who  left  London  during  a  portion  of 
the  year  to  dwell  on  their  estates. 

Thus  our  young  Indian,  upon  gaining  his  free 
dom,  found  himself  amid  surroundings  at  once 
familiar  and  congenial.  He  had  with  him  the 
bow  and  arrows  used  in  his  recent  exhibitions,  a 
fire-bag  containing  flint,  steel,  and  tinder,  and  a 
dirk  that  had  been  taken  from  Blink.  Thus  pro 
vided  he  had  no  anxiety  on  the  score  of  main 
taining  himself  comfortably.  He  realized  that 
the  bear  was  an  encumbrance,  but  in  his  present 
loneliness  he  was  loath  to  part  from  it.  And  so 
the  two  pushed  on  together  until  they  had  pene 
trated  several  miles  into  the  forest,  when  dark 
ness  overtook  them. 

Then  Nahma  made  a  fire  beside  a  small  stream 
and  cooked  a  rabbit  he  had  shot  an  hour  earlier, 
while  the  bear  nosed  about  for  acorns,  grubs,  and 
edible  roots. 


NAHMA   AND   THE   BEAR   RUN   AWAY      233 

They  continued  to  traverse  the  forest  on  the 
following  day,  keeping  to  the  same  general  di 
rection  until  our  lad  was  satisfied  that  he  was 
beyond  danger  from  pursuit,  when  he  began  to 
look  about  for  a  supper  and  a  camping-place. 
Both  of  these  came  at  the  same  time,  for  on  dis 
covering,  successfully  stalking,  and  finally  killing 
a  deer,  he  found  that  the  animal  had  been  drink 
ing  from  a  spring  of  clear  water,  beside  which  he 
determined  to  establish  his  camp.  Further  than 
this  he  had  no  plans.  It  was  enough  for  the 
present  that  he  was  free,  in  the  forest  that  he 
loved,  and  beyond  all  knowledge  of  the  white  man 
whom  he  hated.  Here,  then,  he  would  abide  for 
a  time,  or  until  he  should  discover  people  of  his 
own  kind,  for  he  was  still  impressed  with  the 
belief  that  others  like  himself  must  inhabit  those 
game-filled  forests. 

That  night  both  he  and  the  bear,  to  whom  he 
talked  as  though  it  were  a  human  being,  ate  to 
their  satisfaction  of  deer  meat,  and  Nahma  lay 
down  to  sleep  beside  his  shaggy  friend,  happier 
than  he  had  been  at  any  time  since  leaving  his 
native  land. 


234  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

The  next  morning"  he  was  early  astir  and 
ready  to  begin  work  on  the  lodge  that  he  proposed 
to  construct.  By  mid-day  he  had  the  poles  of 
the  frame  cut,  set  in  the  ground,  arched  over 
until  they  met,  and  fastened  in  position.  Then 
he  went  in  quest  of  proper  material  for  a  thatch 
or  covering.  The  bear,  having  spent  the  morn 
ing  in  feeding,  was  left  behind,  chained  to  a  small 
tree  and  fast  asleep. 

While  searching  for  the  material  he  wanted 
Nahma  struck  the  fresh  trail  of  a  deer,  which  after 
a  long  chase  he  overtook  and  killed.  As  he  was 
returning-  with  the  hide  and  haunches  on  his  back 

o 

he  was  startled  by  a  baying  of  hounds,  which 
changed  as  he  listened  to  a  snarling,  growling, 
and  yelping  that  indicated  a  battle  royal.  From 
the  nature  and  direction  of  these  sounds  our  lad 
realized  that  trouble  of  some  kind  had  come  to 
the  bear,  and,  without  a  thought  of  danger  to 
himself,  he  ran  to  the  assistance  of  his  comrade. 
Reaching  the  scene,  he  found  the  bear,  though 
sadly  hampered  by  his  chain,  making  a  gallant 
fight  against  a  pack  of  boar-hounds  that  had  come 
across  him  while  ranging  the  forest.  They  were 


NAHMA   AND   THE   BEAR    RUN   AWAY       235 

fierce,  gaunt  creatures,  and  although  two  of  their 
number,  already  knocked  out,  were  lying  to  one 
side  feebly  licking  their  wounds,  it  was  evident 
that  the  chained  bear  was  overmatched  and  must 
speedily  be  dragged  down.  Flinging  away  his 
burden  and  drawing  his  dirk,  Nahma  rushed  for 
ward  and  sprang  into  the  thick  of  the  fray,  utter 
ing  the  fierce  war-cry  of  the  Iroquois  as  he  did  so. 

For  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  furious  and 
indiscriminate  mingling  of  bear,  dogs,  and  man, 
then  of  a  sudden  the  young  Indian  was  seized 
from  behind,  dragged  backward,  and  flung  to  the 
ground  by  one  of  two  men  clad  in  the  green 
dress  of  foresters,  who  had  just  arrived  on  the 
scene.  While  Nahma's  assailant  hastily  but 
securely  fastened  the  lad's  arms  so  as  to  render 
him  harmless,  the  other  ranger  ended  the  battle, 
still  raging,  by  thrusting  a  keen-bladed  boar-spear 
through  the  bear's  body.  It  pierced  the  animal's 
heart,  and  he  sank  with  a  sobbing  groan. 

"A  fair  sorrowful  bit  o'  wark  this,  Jean,"  re 
marked  the  man  who  had  killed  the  bear,  as  he 
examined  the  several  dogs.  "  Fower  dead  ;  two 
killed  by  yon  brute  and  two  by  the  dirk  of  this 


236  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

wastrel.  All  the  rest  gouged,  cut,  and  bit  up. 
But  he'll  answer  for  it  smartly  when  once  Sir 
Amory  claps  eyes  on  him,  the  thievin',  murthren 
gypsy  poacher." 

"Yes,  I  reckon  he'll  sweat  fine,"  replied  the 
other,  with  a  grin;  "  but  did  iver  thou  see  bear 
chained  afore  ?" 

"  Noa,  niver.  Lucky  thing  'twas,  though. 
But  come  on  whoam.  Bring  Poacher  with  'e, 
and  we'll  send  pack-horse  for  bear.  No  use 
looking  furder  for  pigs  this  day." 

So  poor  Nahma,  once  more  bereft  of  his  free 
dom  and  of  the  dumb  brute  whom  he  regarded 
as  his  only  friend,  his  garments  rent  and  his  body 
bleeding  from  a  dozen  wounds,  was  marched 
away  between  the  two  stout  rangers,  while  after 
them  trooped  the  dogs. 

Sir  Amory  Effingham,  a  knight  in  high  favor 
at  court,  was  lord  of  that  region,  and  being 
devoted  to  the  chase,  he  spent  several  months  of 
each  year  at  Garnet  Hall,  the  ivy-covered  forest 
castle  in  which  his  family  had  been  cradled  for 
generations.  It  lay  a  league  from  the  scene  of 
Nahma's  capture,  and  by  the  time  he  was  brought 


NAHMA   AND   THE    BEAR   RUN    AWAY       237 

within  sight  of  its  battlemented  towers  the  short 
day  was  closing  and  night  was  at  hand. 

While  one  of  the  rangers  kennelled  the  dogs 
and  looked  after  their  wounds,  the  other  thrust 
Nahma,  with  his  hurts  still  unattended,  into  an 
empty  store-room,  locked  its  door,  and  went  to 
make  report  of  what  had  taken  place. 

"  A  gyPsv >  eh  ^  A  poacher,  caught  red-handed, 
and  a  dog-killer,  is  he  ?"  quoth  Sir  Amory,  angrily. 
"  Hanging  will  be  too  good  for  him.  He  should 
be  drawn  and  quartered  as  an  example  to  all  of 
his  kidney,  and  I  will  deal  with  his  case  in  the 
morning.  Look  well  to  him,  then,  see  that  he 
escapes  not,  and  bring  him  to  me  in  the  great 
hall  after  the  breaking  of  fast." 

"  Yes,  Sir  Amory." 

"And,  Jean,  send  for  that  bear  and  have  his 
pelt  taken  before  the  body  stiffens." 

"  Yes,  Sir  Amory." 

"Also,  Jean,  give  both  the  dogs  and  the 
prisoner  a  good  feed  of  bear's  meat." 

So  all  was  done  as  directed;  only  Nahma, 
realizing  the  nature  of  the  food  thrown  to  him 
some  hours  later,  refused  to  eat  of  it. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

AN    HONORED    GUEST 

ON  the  following  morning,  after  the  lord  of  the 
manor,  his  family,  and  all  his  retainers  had  par 
taken  of  their  rude  but  abundant  breakfast,  and 
washed  it  down  with  copious  draughts  of  ale, 
which  at  that  time  took  the  place  of  coffee  or 
tea,  Sir  Amory  ordered  the  prisoner  of  the  pre 
ceding  evening  to  be  brought  before  him.  The 
dining-tables,  which  were  merely  boards  laid  on 
trestles,  were  cleared  away,  and  the  great  hall  was 
made  ready  to  serve  as  a  court  of  justice.  Wit 
nesses  were  summoned,  and  spectators  gathered, 
until  but  few  of  the  knight's  following  were  absent. 
Squires,  pages,  men-at-arms,  grooms,  foresters, 
and  under-servants,  all  filled  with  an  eager  curi 
osity,  flocked  to  the  scene  of  trial  ;  for  the  case 
in  hand  was  of  so  serious  a  nature  that  its  result 
ing  punishment  would  be  certain  to  afford  vast 
entertainment. 

In  those  days  the  killing  of  a  deer  by  any  per- 


AN   HONORED   GUEST 


239 


son  beneath  the  rank  of  a  gentleman  was  a  capi 
tal  offence  ;  while  the  killing  of  a  hunting  dog  by 
one  of  the  peasant  class  ranked  as  a  crime  so 
abominable  as  to  merit  the  severest  penalty.  For 
either  of  these  things  the  offender  might  be  hanged, 
whipped  to  death,  or  executed  in  any  other  fitting 
manner,  at  the  discretion  of  the  judge.  He  might 
not  be  beheaded,  as  that  form  of  punishment  was 
reserved  for  offences  against  the  state,  committed 
by  persons  of  rank.  Neither  might  he  be  burned, 
since  the  stake  was  only  for  witches  and  victims 
of  religious  persecution.  If  the  lord  of  the 
manor  were  inclined  to  be  merciful,  the  deer- 
stealer  or  dog-killer  might  be  given  his  life, 
and  escape  with  some  such  slight  punishment 
as  having  his  ears  cropped  or  a  hand  chopped 
off;  but  in  the  present  case  it  was  universally 
agreed  that  the  crime  was  of  a  nature  to  demand 
the  severest  possible  punishment.  Thus,  when 
the  prisoner  appeared,  he  was  regarded  with 
eager  curiosity  as  one  who  promised  to  fur 
nish  a  spectacle  of  uncommon  interest. 

Friendless,  wounded,  ragged,  half  starved,  and 
utterly  ignorant  of  the  situation  confronting  him, 


24o      THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

the  son  of  Longfeather  was  led  the  whole  length 
of  the  great  hall  to  the  dais  at  its  upper  end,  on 
which  sat  the  master  of  his  fate.  As  he  was 
halted,  Sir  Amory  exclaimed, — 

"  On  my  soul,  as  scurvy  a  knave  as  ever  I  set 
eyes  upon.  I  knew  not  that  even  a  gypsy  could 
present  so  foul  an  aspect.  What  is  thy  name  and 
condition,  sirrah?" 

Not  understanding  what  was  said,  Nahma  made 
no  answer.  Only,  recalling  the  teaching  of  his 
own  people,  he  stared  his  questioner  full  in  the 
face  with  a  mien  that,  in  spite  of  his  sorry  plight, 
was  quite  as  haughty  as  that  of  the  knight  him 
self. 

"A  contumacious  varlet  and  insolent,"  re 
marked  Sir  Amory,  "  but  it  is  possible  that  we 
may  find  means  to  lower  his  pride.  Let  the 
ranger  named  Jem  stand  forth  and  relate  his  tale 
of  the  occurrence  concerning  which  this  investi 
gation  is  made." 

So  Jem  told  his  story,  and  it  was  corroborated 
by  the  other  forester.  Also  were  the  dead  hounds 
introduced  as  evidence,  together  with  the  dirk  that 
Nahma  had  used  so  effectively. 


AN    HONORED    GUEST  241 

' 'What  hast  thou  to  say  in  thy  own  behalf, 
scoundrel?"  asked  the  knight,  turning  again  to 
the  prisoner  after  all  this  testimony  against  him 
had  been  submitted. 

Still  there  was  no  answer,  but  only  an  un 
flinching  gaze  and  a  proudly  uplifted  head. 

" Think  you  the  creature  is  dumb?"  inquired 
the  puzzled  magistrate. 

"  No,  Sir  Amory,"  replied  one  of  the  foresters, 
"of  a  surety  he  is  not,  for  we  heard  him  call 
loudly  to  the  bear,  and  at  sound  of  his  voice  the 
beast  made  violent  effort  to  break  his  chain  that 
he  might  get  to  him." 

"  Chain  ?"  quoth  the  knight.  "  This  is  the  first 
mention  I  have  heard  of  any  chain.  What  mean 
you  ?  Was  the  bear  indeed  chained?" 

"Chained  and  muzzled  was  he,"  admitted  the 
ranger,  "else  it  had  gone  more  hardly  with  the 
dogs  than  happened." 

"Chained  and  muzzled,"  repeated  the  knight, 
reflectively,  and  casting  a  searching  gaze  upon  the 
prisoner.  "Still,  it  may  be  only  a  coincidence." 
With  this  he  gave  an  order  in  a  low  tone  to  a 
page  who  stood  at  hand,  and  the  boy  darted  away. 

16 


242  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

"Saw  you  trace  of  other  gypsies  at  or  near 
that  place?"  asked  the  knight,  continuing  his  ex 
amination  of  the  forester. 

"  No,  Sir  Amory.  That  is,  we  saw  no  humans, 
but  there  was  a  booth  partly  built  close  at  hand." 

"  What  is  the  material  of  the  prisoner's  dress  ?" 

"  Deer-skin,  Sir  Amory,  nothing  less." 

At  this  moment  a  tapestry  was  drawn  aside,* 
and  a  lady,  appearing  on  the  dais,  stood  beside 
her  husband  with  a  look  of  inquiry.  She  was 
followed  by  one  bearing  in  her  arms  a  child,  at 
sight  of  which  the  prisoner  was  surprised  into  a 
momentary  start  as  of  recognition. 

"  My  dear,"  said  Sir  Amory,  "will  you  favor  us 
by  glancing  at  yonder  gypsy  and  telling  if  ever 
you  have  set  eyes  on  him  before?" 

The  lady  looked  in  the  direction  indicated,  but 
shook  her  head.  Ere  she  could  speak,  however, 
the  maid,  who  had  followed  her  gaze,  uttered  a 
cry,  and  exclaimed, — 

"It  is  the  very  one,  my  lady.  The  youth,  I 
mean,  who  danced  with  that  dreadful  bear  and 
saved  the  life  of  my  little  mistress." 

"Yes,"    said    the    lady,    slowly.       "I    did   not 


AN   HONORED    GUEST  243 

recognize  him  on  the  moment ;  but  now  me- 
thinks  he  is  the  same  from  whose  hands  I 
received  my  child,  safe  and  unharmed,  though 
blood-bespattered.  But,  Amory,  what  is  he 
doing  here  ?  A  prisoner  and  under  guard ! 
Surely " 

"It  is  all  a  mistake,"  cried  the  knight,  rising  to 
his  feet  in  great  agitation.  "He  is  not  'a  prisoner, 
but  an  honored  guest.  Nor  is  he  under  guard, 
but  under  the  protection  of  one  who  owes  to  him 
a  life  dearer  than  his  own.  Gentlemen,  the  hear 
ing  is  dismissed  ;  the  prisoner  is  honorably  ac 
quitted,  and  will  hereafter  be  known  as  my  friend, 
if  indeed  he  can  forgive  the  cruel  wrong  I  medi 
tated  against  him.  Away,  ye  varlets.  Bring  food 
and  wine.  Fetch  warm  water  and  clean  napery, 
salve  and  liniments.  Body  o'  me  !  The  youth  is 
wounded  and  hath  had  no  attention.  He  looks 
ready  to  drop  with  weakness.  Draw  a  settle  for 
him  beside  the  fire.  Fetch " 

But  the  servants  were  already  flying  in  every 
direction  in  their  efforts  to  minister  to  the  evident 
needs  of  him  whose  position  had  undergone  so 
sudden  a  transformation. 


244     THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

At  the  same  time  Nahma  himself  was  even 
more  bewildered  by  the  good  fortune  that  was 
overwhelming  him  than  ever  by  the  hard  fate  that 
had  for  so  long  been  his  constant  attendant. 

Somewhat  later  the  lady  who,  with  her  com 
panions,  had  withdrawn,  came  again  to  the  hall, 
and  stepping  to  where  she  could  obtain  a  good 
view  of  the  youth,  looked  at  him  steadily  for  the 
space  of  a  minute.  He,  in  the  mean  time,  had 
been  bathed  and  fed,  his  wounds  had  been 
dressed,  and  he  wore  a  body-gown  from  the 
knight's  own  wardrobe  that  gave  him  an  air 
of  grace  and  dignity. 

"  He  is  no  gypsy,  Sir  Amory,"  said  the  lady, 
finally,  withdrawing  her  gaze  and  turning  to  her 
husband. 

"I  myself  am  beginning  to  doubt  if  he  belongs 
to  those  nomads,"  replied  the  knight.  "But  if 
not  a  gypsy,  to  what  race  can  he  lay  claim,  with 
that  tinge  of  color  and  with  hair  of  such  raven 
blackness?" 

"  Dost  remember  the  tale  told  us  in  London  by 
my  cousin  Edward  concerning  an  arrival  from  the 
New  World  in  whom  he  had  taken  an  interest?" 


AN   HONORED   GUEST  245 

"  Ay,  well  do  I,  and  it  so  aroused  my  curiosity 
that  I  made  an  errand  shortly  after  to  the  place 
where  he  was  said  to  be,  but  he  had  disappeared. 
How  was  he  called?  Can  you  remember  the 
name  ?" 

"  He  was  called  '  Massasoit,'  "  replied  the  lady, 
uttering  the  word  distinctly  and  observing  the 
youth  as  she  spoke. 

Turning  quickly  he  looked  at  her  with  eager 
questioning. 

"  Who  are  your  friends  ?"  she  asked,  addressing 
him  directly  and  speaking  the  words  slowly. 

He  understood  and  answered,  "  Bear  frien'. 
Tasquanto  frien'.  White  man  frien',  Winslow." 

"That  proves  it!"  cried  the  lady,  triumphantly. 
"  He  must  be  the  American  Indian  of  whom 
Cousin  Edward  told  us,  and  who  is  said  to  be  a 
prince  in  his  own  country.  At  any  rate,  as  he 
certainly  saved  the  life  of  our  child,  we  have 
ample  reason  to  befriend  him." 

''Indeed,  yes,"  agreed  Sir  Amory.  "And  to 
fail  in  a  duty  so  plainly  indicated  would  lay  us 
open  to  the  charge  of  base  ingratitude." 

Thus  it  happened   that   the  young  American 


246  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

who  had  been  kidnapped  from  his  own  country, 
sold  as  a  slave  in  London,  and  finally  arrested 
on  a  charge  that  threatened  to  cost  him  his  life, 
became  the  honored  guest  of  a  stately  English 
home.  His  hosts  sought  in  every  way  to  pro 
mote  his  comfort  and  happiness,  and  when  they 
discovered  that  he  preferred  living  in  the  open  to 
dwelling  under  a  roof,  he  was  promptly  given  the 
freedom  of  their  domain.  He  was  also  accorded 
full  liberty  to  dwell  on  it  where  he  pleased,  and  to 
kill  such  of  its  abundant  game  as  would  supply 
his  needs.  Armed  with  this  permission,  Nahma 
immediately  repaired  to  the  place  where  he  had 
already  begun  the  building  of  a  lodge  after  the 
fashion  of  his  own  people,  and  completed  it  to  his 
satisfaction  as  well  as  that  of  his  hosts,  who 
took  a  lively  interest  in  his  work.  He  covered  it 
with  bark  and  lined  its  interior  with  the  skins  of 
fur-bearing  animals.  In  the  centre  was  his  fire 
place,  and  at  one  side  his  couch  of  dry  sedge- 
grass  covered  with  the  great  shaggy  hide  of  his 
one-time  friend,  the  bear.  Here  our  Indian  dwelt 
almost  as  contentedly  as  though  in  his  own  land 
and  under  the  trees  of  his  native  forest. 


AN   HONORED    GUEST  247 

Much  of  his  time  was  devoted  to  accompanying 
Sir  Amory  on  his  hunting  expeditions,  during 
which  the  youth's  marvellous  skill  in  tracking 
game  and  his  fearlessness  in  moments  of  peril 
won  for  him  both  admiration  and  respect. 

On  days  when  there  was  no  hunting  he  busied 
himself  with  making  bows,  arrows,  or  snow-shoes, 
and  in  receiving  visits  from  the  green-coated  for 
esters,  whose  tastes  and  pursuits  were  so  similar 
to  his  own.  He  taught  them  some  things,  but 
learned  more  than  he  taught ;  and  chiefest  of  all 
the  things  that  he  learned  was  to  load  and  fire 
a  musket.  Thus  was  solved  the  mystery  of  the 
white  man's  thunder-stick,  and  he  could  now  smile 
as  he  recalled  the  melancholy  experience  of  Tas- 
quanto  and  himself  in  attempting  to  fire  a  salute. 

So  some  months  were  happily  passed,  and  it 
seemed  as  though  our  young  American  would 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  as  an  English 
forester.  Then  all  of  a  sudden  there  occurred 
an  amazing  thing,  by  which  he  was  rendered  so 
unhappy  that  he  no  longer  cared  to  live  if  the 
balance  of  his  days  must  be  passed  under  exist 
ing  conditions. 


CHAPTER    XXIV 

NAHMA    REMEMBERS 

MOST  welcome  of  all  the  guests  at  Nahma's 
lodge  was  the  little  lady  Betty,  who  was  some 
times  taken  thither  by  her  father  mounted  in 
front  of  him  on  his  great  Flemish  horse  Baldric. 
A  strong  friendship  had  sprung  up  between  the 
child  and  the  young  Indian,  and  she  was  never 
happier  than  during  the  hour  occasionally  spent 
with  him.  She  always  brought  some  little  gift, 
and  he  never  failed  to  have  ready  a  unique  bit 
of  his  own  handiwork  to  offer  in  return.  Once 
it  was  a  wee  bow  and  a  quiver  of  small  stone- 
headed  arrows.  Again  he  presented  her  with 
the  beautifully  dressed  skin  of  an  otter.  At 
length  he  completed  a  pair  of  tiny  snow-shoes 
gayly  fringed  and  ornamented.  For  some  days 
after  they  were  finished  he  waited  expectantly 
the  coming  of  his  little  friend,  and  as  she  failed 
to  appear,  he  finally  decided  to  take  his  gift  to 

the  castle. 

248 


NAHMA   REMEMBERS  249 

Now,  it  happened  that  Sir  Amory,  being  called 
by  some  business  to  the  near-by  city  of  Bristol, 
had  taken  his  wife  and  little  daughter  with  him 
for  a  brief  visit,  from  which  they  had  just  returned. 
As  was  usual  on  such  occasions,  they  had  brought 
back  a  number  of  trifling  gifts  for  members  of 
the  household,  and  also  one  for  the  young  Indian 
whom  they  held  in  such  high  esteem. 

The  city  of  Bristol,  more  than  any  other  in 
England,  was  building  up  a  trade  with  the  New 
World.  While  this  trade  was  more  especially  with 
the  Virginia  plantations,  it  was  gradually  extending 
northward  along  the  American  coast.  Thus  a 
ship,  recently  returned,  had  voyaged  as  far  north 
as  the  French  settlements,  trading  with  natives 
wherever  found  on  her  way.  This  ship  had 
brought  back  many  curious  things,  among  which 
was  an  object  of  native  make  that  Sir  Amory, 
having  his  Indian  guest  in  his  mind,  purchased 
on  sight. 

"  It  may  interest  him,"  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  and, 
at  any  rate,  it  will  be  something  for  Betty  to  take 
him  when  next  she  and  I  ride  to  his  lodge."  So 
this  present  was  fetched  home  with  the  others, 


250  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

and  was  to  have  been  carried  out  to  Nahma  on 
the  very  day  of  his  appearance  at  the  castle. 

On  learning  that  the  Indian  waited  outside  with 
a  gift  for  Betty,  Sir  Amory  ordered  him  to  be 
brought  in.  The  knight  and  his  lady  together 
with  several  guests  were  grouped  near  the  huge 
fireplace  in  the  great  hall  as  Nahma  entered  and, 
advancing  gravely,  extended  a  hand  to  his  host. 
Then,  looking  about  inquiringly,  he  pronounced 
the  single  word  "  Betty." 

"I*  faith!"  laughed  the  knight,  "the  young 
man  hath  quickly  recognized  the  most  important 
personage  of  this  establishment  and  will  have 
dealings  with  none  other.  Let  Mistress  Betty  be 
brought." 

As  soon  as  the  little  girl  appeared,  the  young 
Indian,  kneeling  gracefully,  presented  her  with 
his  gift.  After  the  tiny  snow-shoes  had  been 
passed  from  hand  to  hand  for  inspection  and 
their  use  had  been  explained,  Lady  Effingham 
said, — 

"  Now,  Betty,  give  him  the  present  fetched  from 
Bristol." 

Thus  saying  she  placed  a  small  packet  in  the 


NAHMA    REMEMBERS  251 

child's  hand,  and  the  latter,  advancing  shyly, 
handed  it  to  Nahma.  With  a  smiling  face  the 
young  warrior  undid  the  wrappings  of  the 
packet  until  its  contents  were  exposed.  Sud 
denly  his  expression  changed  to  one  of  conster 
nation  and  bewilderment.  For  a  moment  he 
held  the  object  in  his  hands  gazing  at  it  wildly 
and  in  evident  perplexity.  Then  he  uttered  a 
great  cry  and  a  gush  of  tears  filled  his  eyes. 
He  gasped  and  seemed  about  to  speak  ;  but, 
words  failing  him,  he  turned  and  fled  from  the 
hall,  leaving  its  occupants  amazed  at  his  strange 
actions. 

"  It  is  doubtless  a  native  charm  of  some  kind," 
quoth  the  knight,  breaking  the  silence,  "and  a 
powerful  one  at  that,  for  never  did  I  see  a  man 
so  upset  by  a  trifle.  After  a  little,  when  he  has 
had  time  to  quiet  down,  I  will  question  him  con 
cerning  his  agitation,  but  until  then  we  must 
amuse  ourselves  with  conjecture." 

In  the  mean  time  Nahma  had  not  paused  in 
his  flight  until  reaching  his  own  lodge.  There  he 
sat  down  and  examined  his  newly  acquired  prize 
with  minutest  care,  alternately  laughing  and  cry- 


252      THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

ing  as  he  did  so.  At  length,  apparently  satisfied 
with  his  inspection,  he  said  aloud  in  the  long  for 
gotten  tongue  of  the  Wampanoags, — 

"Truly  it  is  my  father's  wampum,   and  I  am 
Nahma,  the  son  of  Longfeather. " 

It  was  indeed  the  Belt  of  Seven  Totems,  thus 
marvellously    restored    to    him    from    whose    un 
conscious  form   it   had  been   taken  nearly   three 
years  earlier  in  the  far  away  land  of  the  Iroquois. 
Not  only  had  Nahma  thus  regained  his  father's 
badge    of     authority,     but    at    sight    of    it    the 
memory   of   his    earlier  years,  lost   to   him   ever 
since  he  had  been  struck  down  by  Miantinomo, 
was  abruptly  and    fully  restored.       He  recalled 
who  he  was  and  found  himself  once  more  in  com 
mand  of  his  native  tongue.     He  also  remembered 
every  incident  of  his  journey  to  the  country  of 
the  Maqua  as  though  it  had  been  undertaken  but 
the  day  before.     He  even  remembered  lying  down 
for  a  brief  rest  after    eating  his  supper  on  the 
western  bank  of  the  Shatemuc  ;  but  beyond  that 
came  a  blank,  and  his  next  memory  was  of  Aeana 
in  the  lodge  of  Kaweras. 

As  these  things  passed  through  his  mind   in 


NAHMA    REMEMBERS  253 

rapid  review,  he  was  also  whelmed  by  a  great 
wave  of  home-sickness.  The  voices  of  his  own 
people  rang  in  his  ears,  and  he  heard  the  plash 
of  waves  on  the  beach  at  Montaup.  The  scent 
of  burning  cedar  from  the  evening  camp-fires  was 
in  his  nostrils,  and  he  felt  the  spring  of  brown 
pine  needles  beneath  his  feet  as  he  threaded  the 
dim  forest  trails  of  his  native  land.  In  a  bark 
canoe  he  once  more  ran  the  foaming  rapids  of 
great  rivers,  or,  lying  beside  Tasquanto,  he  was 
lulled  to  sleep  by  the  roar  of  mighty  cataracts. 
So  distinct  were  the  pictures  thus  flashed  before 
him  by  the  magic  belt  that  he  had  no  longer  a 
wish  to  live  unless  he  could  once  more  gaze  upon 
them  in  reality.  Every  other  feeling  was  merged 
in  an  intense  desire  to  regain  his  own  country 
and  rejoin  his  own  people. 

At  length  the  longing  for  these  things  became 
so  great  that  the  youth  sprang  to  his  feet,  deter 
mined  to  set  forth  at  once  in  quest  of  them.  His 
reason  told  him  that  such  an  adventure  was  well- 
nigh  hopeless  ;  but  the  wampum  belt  urged  him 
forward  and  persuaded  him  that  by  some  means 
he  would  succeed.  So  Nahma  departed  forever 


254  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

from  the  lodge  that,  but  an  hour  earlier,  had 
seemed  his  home  for  life,  and  set  forth  on  the 
tremendous  journey.  He  took  with  him  only  his 
weapons,  a  fur  cloak,  the  fire-bag  that  had  once 
belonged  to  Aeana,  and  the  Belt  of  Seven 
Totems  girded  about  his  body  next  his  skin. 

As  he  emerged  from  the  lodge  he  stood  for  a 
moment  irresolute.  Whither  should  he  turn  ? 
What  path  would  lead  him  to  Montaup  ?  Then 
the  last  word  uttered  in  his  hearing  by  Betty's 
mother  rang  again  in  his  ears.  It  was  "  Bristol." 
From  there  the  belt  had  but  recently  come,  and 
there  he  would  begin  to  retrace  its  mysterious 
course  to  the  place  where  he  had  lost  it.  He 
had  heard  the  foresters  speak  of  Bristol,  and  he 
knew  that  it  lay  in  the  direction  of  the  setting 
sun.  What  Bristol  was,  or  how  far  away,  he  did 
not  know,  any  more  than  what  he  should  do  upon 
getting  there.  It  was  enough  that  his  first  step 
was  decided  upon,  and  without  a  single  backward 
glance  he  began  his  long  homeward  journey. 

An  hour  later  Sir  Amory  on  his  good  horse 
Baldric,  and  with  mistress  Betty  in  his  arms, 
rode  up  to  the  deserted  lodge  and  uttered  a 


NAHMA   REMEMBERS  255 

cheery  call  for  its  supposed  occupant  to  come 
forth.  The  knight  was  puzzled  at  finding  the 
place  empty  ;  and  for  several  days  thereafter  he 
caused  search  to  be  made  for  its  recent  owner. 
But  nothing  came  of  this,  nor  for  many  years  did 
he  hear  a  word  concerning  the  disappearance  and 
whereabouts  of  Massasoit. 

That  night  Nahma  slept  in  the  wood,  as  lonely 
and  friendless  a  human  being  as  could  be  found 
in  all  the  world,  but  so  happy  in  his  regained 
memory  and  in  the  knowledge  that  he,  like  others, 
could  now  lay  claim  to  home  and  people,  towards 
whom  he  was  journeying,  that  nothing  else 
mattered.  On  the  morrow  he  struck  the  broad 
trail  of  a  highway  that  led  to  the  westward,  and 
thereafter  he  followed  it.  Noting  that  his  ap 
pearance  attracted  attention  from  the  few  trav 
ellers  whom  he  met,  he  determined  to  procure  a 
suit  of  clothing  that  would  render  him  less  con 
spicuous. 

He  dreaded  to  approach  a  house,  and  was  at  a 
loss  how  to  accomplish  his  purpose  until  at  dusk 
of  the  second  day.  Then  he  ran  across  a  camp- 
fire  surrounded  by  a  group  of  dark-skinned 


256  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

persons,  who  for  a  moment  he  believed  to  be 
people  of  his  own  race.  He  did  not  discover 
his  mistake  until  he  was  within  the  circle  of  fire 
light  and  it  was  too  late  to  retreat.  So  he  put 
on  a  bold  face,  accepted  an  invitation  to  eat  with 
the  gypsies,  and  strove  hard,  though  without 
success,  to  understand  what  they  said. 

They  in  turn  were  as  much  puzzled  by  him  as 
he  was  by  them  ;  but  this  did  not  prevent  them 
from  exchanging  a  well-worn  suit  of  clothing  for 
Nahma's  fur  robe  when  he  intimated  by  signs  his 
willingness  to  make  such  a  trade.  As  soon  as 
he  procured  these  things  he  put  them  on  over 
his  buckskin  garments  ;  and,  as  a  dilapidated  cap 
had  been  thrown  in  to  complete  the  bargain,  he 
was  so  thoroughly  disguised  that  even  Sir  Amory 
would  have  failed  to  recognize  him. 

The  gypsies  invited  their  guest  to  cast  his  for 
tunes  with  them,  and  proposed  among  themselves 
to  compel  him  to  do  so  in  any  event.  He  neither 
declined  nor  accepted  their  offer,  but  after  a  while 
lay  down  to  sleep  near  their  fire,  as  though  willing, 
at  any  rate,  to  remain  with  them  for  the  present. 
Thus  they  were  much  chagrined  to  find  in  the 


NAHMA    REMEMBERS  257 

morning  that  he  had  disappeared  without  leaving 
a  trace  to  show  which  way  he  had  gone. 

So  it  happened  that  our  wanderer  came  at 
length  to  the  snug  little  seaport  of  Bristol,  at  that 
time  second  in  importance  only  to  London. 
And  thus  was  taken  the  first  step  of  his  mo- 
mentuous  journey.  Dusk  was  falling  as  he  en 
tered  the  place,  and  for  some  time  he  wandered 
aimlessly  through  its  narrow  streets. 

Then,  unexpectedly,  he  came  to  the  water  front 
and  discovered  ships,  some  under  sail  and  others 
anchored  in  the  stream.  His  heart  leaped  at 
sight  of  them,  for  he  supposed  that  all  ships 
passed  to  and  from  his  own  country.  Therefore 
if  he  could  only  find  one  about  to  depart,  and 
contrive  to  get  on  board,  the  second  and  longest 
step  of  his  journey  would  be  provided  for. 

He  managed  to  exchange  his  bow  and  arrows 
for  a  meal  in  a  small  public-house  near  the  water, 
and  when  he  had  eaten  it  he  again  strolled  out 
side  looking  for  a  place  in  which  to  pass  the  night. 
It  was  now  quite  dark,  and,  without  going  far,  he 
lay  down  to  sleep  under  the  lee  of  a  boat  that 
was  drawn  up  on  one  of  the  wharves. 

17 


258  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

Some  hours  later  he  was  awakened  by  sounds 
of  shouting  and  scuffling  close  at  hand,  and 
sprang  to  his  feet  in  alarm.  As  he  did  so  a  rough 
voice  called  out, — 

"  Here's  another  stout  fellow  !  Seize  him,  lads, 
and  hustle  him  along." 

Immediately  Nahma  was  surrounded,  and,  de 
spite  his  furious  struggles,  was  quickly  overthrown 
and  securely  bound. 


CHAPTER    XXV 

BACK    TO    AMERICA 

FOR  a  short  space  our  lad  was  heart-broken  by 
this  rude  awakening  from  his  dreams  of  freedom 
and  of  a  return  to  his  own  country.  Half  dazed 
as  he  was,  he  had  fought  desperately  ;  and  now, 
hustled  along  in  company  with  a  dozen  other 
unfortunates,  all  bound  and  suffering  from  rough 
handling,  his  sole  thought  was  of  how  he  could 
soonest  put  an  end  to  the  life  that  he  was 
resolved  not  to  pass  in  slavery.  He  recalled 
with  satisfaction  the  dirk  that,  hidden  in  his 
clothing,  still  remained  to  him,  and  was  deter 
mined  to  use  it  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  first 
on  such  of  his  present  enemies  as  he  could  reach 
and  then  on  himself. 

Suddenly  his  sombre  reflections  were  inter 
rupted  and  given  a  decided  change  of  direction 
by  finding  himself  crowded,  together  with  his 
wretched  companions,  into  a  boat.  No  sooner 
had  it  received  them  than  it  was  rowed  out  to  the 

259 


260     THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

mouth  of  the  harbor  where  stood  a  ship  under 
easy  sail. 

From  the  moment  of  realizing  that  he  was  in 
a  boat  Nahma  was  filled  with  a  wild  hope,  and 
when  he  was  transferred  from  it  to  the  deck  of  a 
waiting  ship  this  hope  was  confirmed.  For  some 
reason  utterly  beyond  his  comprehension  he  had 
once  more  been  kidnapped,  but  only  to  be  placed 
in  the  very  position  he  had  longed  to  attain. 

The  ways  of  the  white  man  were  past  under 
standing.  Why  had  he  been  brought  by  force 
from  his  own  country  ?  and  why  should  an  equal 
amount  of  anxiety  now  be  shown,  and  even  a 
greater  amount  of  force  be  used,  to  carry  him  back 
to  it?  He  could  not  imagine,  nor  did  he  care. 
It  was  enough  that  the  second  step  of  his  home 
ward  journey  had  been  taken  for  him  and  that 
the  object  he  had  so  ardently  desired  was  accom 
plished. 

Nahma  would  gladly  have  remained  on  deck 
and  attempted  to  make  himself  useful  without  a 
thought  of  escaping  or  of  doing  harm  to  those 
who  had  unwittingly  so  aided  his  plans.  But  this 
was  not  permitted,  and  he  was  bundled  below 


BACK   TO   AMERICA  261 

with  the  poor  wretches  who  had  been  ruthlessly 
torn  from  their  homes  to  be  taken  as  bondsmen 
to  the  Virginia  plantations. 

So  great  was  the  demand  for  labor  in  that 
colony  that  criminals  were  sent  there  to  work  out 
their  sentences  and  debtors  to  labor  until  their 
indebtedness  was  discharged.  In  fact,  all  of  whom 
society  wished  to  rid  itself  were  shipped  across 
the  ocean.  Men  anxious  to  try  their  fortunes  in 
the  New  World  but  too  poor  to  pay  their  pas 
sage  went  out  under  contract,  to  serve  any 
master  who  would  purchase  their  time  until  they 
had  made  good  the  money  thus  advanced.  But 
even  these  sources  of  supply  were  not  sufficient 
to  satisfy  the  demand  for  laborers,  and  unscrupu 
lous  shipmasters  found  great  profit  in  gathering 
up  unsuspecting  citizens  by  means  of  press-gangs 
sent  ashore  on  the  eve  of  departure,  getting  them 
on  board,  and  sailing  at  once  for  the  distant 
scene  of  their  enforced  servitude. 

Thus  Nahma  now  found  himself  in  a  motley 
company  of  mechanics,  sailors,  small  tradesmen, 
'prentice  lads,  and  others,  all  being  carried  away 
against  their  will  and  without  the  knowledge  of 


262  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

their  friends.  Some  had  left  dependent  families 
unprovided  for,  while  others  were  parted  from 
sweethearts  or  newly  married  wives.  To  us  of 
to-day  all  this  sounds  incredible  ;  but  the  age  of 
"good  Queen  Bess"  was  an  age  of  cruelty,  when 
even  the  best  thinking  persons  only  shrugged  their 
shoulders  on  hearing  of  such  things,  and  thanked 
their  stars  that  they  were  not  in  similar  plight. 

Some  of  the  group  now  surrounding  Nahma 
in  the  small  space  alloted  to  them,  which  was 
dimly  lighted  by  a  vilely  smoking  lamp,  were 
groaning,  some  weeping,  others  were  bemoaning 
their  hard  fate,  and  all  were  as  wretchedly  un 
happy  as  it  is  possible  for  mortals  to  be.  That 
is,  all  except  our  young  Indian,  who  was  overjoyed 
at  finding  himself  on  a  ship  that  he  believed  would 
carry  him  back  to  his  own  country  and  people. 

The  kidnapped  men  were  kept  below  for 
several  days,  or  until  land  was  out  of  sight  and 
the  ship  was  ploughing  her  slow  way  across  the 
Bay  of  Biscay  ;  but  after  that  they  were  allowed 
on  deck  from  sunrise  until  dark.  As  Nahma, 
buoyed  by  hope  and  eager  anticipation,  was  the 
only  one  among  them  who  was  not  seasick,  he 


BACK   TO    AMERICA  263 

was  compelled  to  act  as  steward  of  their  mess. 
At  first  his  duties  in  this  capacity  were  light  and 
he  performed  them  willingly,  but  later,  when  his 
companions  had  gained  their  sea-legs,  they  forced 
all  sorts  of  disagreeable  tasks  upon  him,  and 
treated  him  with  such  cruelty  that  his  hatred  of 
white  men  was  increased  a  hundred-fold. 

They  were  much  puzzled  over  his  nationality, 
which  he  never  revealed,  though  often  questioned 
concerning  it.  Most  of  them  declared  that  he 

o 

was  a  gypsy,  while  others  insisted  that  he  was 
of  negro  blood  and  called  him  "Guinea."  The 
captain  of  the  ship  while  strongly  suspecting 
him  to  be  an  American  would  not  admit  it,  but 
spoke  cf  him  as  a  "Jack  Spaniard." 

So  slow  was  the  weary  voyage  that  it  was  two 
months  to  a  day  before  the  westerly  winds  against 
which  they  were  beating  brought  to  Nahma's 
sensitive  nostrils  the  first  scent  of  land.  That 
evening  he  hid  himself  on  deck  so  that  he  might 
sniff  the  air  all  night,  and  at  daybreak  he  was 
rewarded  by  the  sight  of  land  lying  cloud-like  on 
the  western  horizon. 

During  that  day  he  was  so  inattentive  to  his 


264  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

enforced  duties  as  to  win  many  a  blow  and  kick 
from  his  brutal  masters.  Although  the  young 
Indian's  blood  boiled  with  rage,  he  did  not 
attempt  to  resent  these  things,  but  submitted  to 
them  with  an  assumed  meekness  that  ill-expressed 
his  feelings.  He  felt  that  he  could  afford  to 
abide  his  time,  for  was  he  not  almost  within  reach 
of  his  own  people  ?  At  the  same  time  deep 
down  in  his  heart  he  vowed  a  bitter  vengeance 
against  those  who  thus  degraded  him,  if  ever  the 
opportunity  should  come.  And  it  came  sooner 
than  he  expected,  though  not  through  his  own 
people,  as  he  had  hoped. 

Before  the  features  of  the  landfall  became 
recognizable  the  wind  hauled  to  the  eastward  and 
the  weather  thickened,  with  every  indication  of  a 
storm.  Thus  the  skipper  was  greatly  relieved 
shortly  before  night  to  find  his  ship  running  into 
a  broad  bay  between  two  distant  headlands  that 
he  believed  to  be  the  capes  of  Virginia,  though 
in  reality  they  were  those  of  Delaware.  Without 
attempting  to  discover  the  mouth  of  the  James, 
he  sought  only  a  lee  under  which  the  night  might 
be  passed  in  safety. 


BACK   TO    AMERICA  265 

When  this  was  found  and  the  ship  was  snugly 
anchored  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Bristol, 
not  only  the  captain  but  his  entire  company  began 
a  carouse  to  celebrate  this  successful  termination  of 
their  perilous  voyage.  Liquor  flowed  freely  in  the 
cabin,  and  was  served  forward  in  such  generous 
measure  that  a  liberal  portion  even  found  its  way 
to  the  wretched  bondmen  who  expected  shortly  to 
be  sold  into  years  of  servitude.  Thus  by  midnight 
nearly  every  man  on  board  was  helplessly  drunk, 
and  most  of  them  were  asleep. 

Up  to  this  hour  the  storm  had  steadily  increased 
in  violence,  and  the  ship,  though  still  safe,  was 
surging  heavily  at  her  cables.  At  the  same  time 
but  a  single  figure  was  in  motion  on  her  decks, 
and  he  was  creeping  forward  as  stealthily  as 
though  fearful  of  being  discovered.  Gaining 
the  bow  undetected,  he  bent  for  a  minute  over 
one  of  the  straining  cables,  and  when  he  arose 
two  of  its  hempen  strands  had  been  severed. 
Then  he  stepped  quickly  to  the  other,  drew  his 
keen  blade  across  it  once,  twice,  three  times,  and 
with  the  last  stroke  it  parted.  The  one  first  cut 
gave  way  almost  at  the  same  moment,  and  the 


266      THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

freed  ship  started  up  the  bay  like  a  restive  steed 
just  given  a  loose  rein. 

With  his  long-meditated  design  thus  success 
fully  accomplished,  Nahma  darted  back  to  his 
place  of  hiding  and  awaited  developments.  He 
had  long  since  discovered  that  he  was  destined  to 
be  sold  into  slavery  among  those  white  men  who 
had  settled  far  to  the  southward  of  his  own  coun 
try.  Tales  of  their  injustice  and  cruelty  towards 
the  natives  had  reached  Montaup  even  before  he 
left  there,  and  had  filled  his  boyish  heart  with  a 
fierce  indignation.  Now  he  was  determined  not 
to  fall  alive  into  their  hands,  and  believed  that 
on  this  night  or  never  he  must  effect  an  escape. 
He  could  not  swim  to  shore  because  of  the  dis 
tance  and  the  heavy  seas.  All  the  ship's  boats 
were  inboard  and  securely  lashed,  so  that  he  could 
not  make  off  in  one  of  them.  Consequently  his 
only  feasible  plan  seemed  to  be  to  let  the  ship  her 
self  drift  until  she  fetched  up  on  some  beach,  from 
which  he  might  gain  the  safe  cover  of  the  woods. 
He  had  never  experienced  a  shipwreck  and  knew 
nothing  of  its  terrors.  Even  if  he  had  he  would 
not  have  hesitated  to  carry  out  his  desperate  plan. 


BACK   TO   AMERICA  267 

The  captain  of  the  drifting  ship,  too  hard-headed 
to  be  overcome  by  any  amount  of  liquor,  was  the 
first  to  become  aware  that  her  cables  had  parted. 
He  stumbled  on  deck,  bawling  out  orders  that 
were  mingled  with  strange  oaths,  and,  gaining  the 
wheel,  put  his  vessel's  head"  before  the  wind  that 
she  might  scud  without  danger  of  being  thrown 
on  her  beam  ends.  Then  he  bellowed  for  assist 
ance,  but  it  came  tardily,  and  was  of  slight  avail. 
There  was  but  one  spare  anchor,  and  when  finally 
it  was  broken  out,  bent  on,  and  got  overboard, 
the  ship  was  so  far  in  the  open  that  it  could  not 
hold. 

So  the  helpless  vessel  drifted  for  several  hours, 
and  shortly  before  daybreak  struck  with  such 
force  that  all  of  her  masts  went  by  the  board. 
Then  ensued  a  period  of  horrible  crashing,  grind 
ing,  and  pounding,  with  which  were  mingled  the 
shrieks  of  drowning  men.  Some  of  the  strongest 
swimmers  reached  the  shore,  bruised  and  breath 
less  but  still  alive,  and  foremost  among  them 
was  the  almost  naked  form  of  him  who  had 
caused  the  disaster. 

Battered  and  beaten  by  roaring  breakers,  weak 


268  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

and  nearly  perished  with  cold,  Nahma  was  at  the 
same  time  upheld  by  such  a  spirit  of  exultation 
as  he  had  never  before  known.  He  was  once 
more  free  and  once  more  lying  on  the  beloved 
soil  of  his  native  land.  No  sooner  had  he  re 
gained  his  breath  after  being  flung  on  the  beach 
than  he  struggled  to  his  feet  and  staggered  to  the 
safe  shelter  of  a  forest  that  grew  almost  to  the 
water's  edge.  He  did  not  look  back  nor  give  a 
thought  to  what  was  taking  place  behind  him. 
The  white  men  who  would  have  sold  him  into 
slavery  might  care  for  themselves,  as  might  those 
who  had  so  recently  degraded  him  by  their  blows 
and  curses. 

An  hour  later  our  young  Indian  was  seated  by 
a  camp-fire  of  the  Saganaga  or  Delawares,  and 
telling  them  in  sign  language,  supplemented  by 
the  few  words  they  had  in  common,  of  the  won 
derful  treasure  that  the  sea  had  brought  to  their 
very  doors. 

They,  recognizing  the  splendid  belt  of  wampum 
that  he  wore,  listened  to  him  with  closest  attention ; 
and  when  he  had  finished,  all  the  able-bodied  men 
of  the  village  hastened  to  the  scene  of  the  wreck, 


BACK   TO    AMERICA  269 

leaving  Nahma  to  the  kindly  hospitality  of  those 
who  remained  behind. 

That  night  there  was  no  village  in  the  Delaware 
nation,  nor  probably  on  the  entire  Atlantic  coast, 
so  rich  in  scalps  and  plunder  as  the  one  in  which 
the  son  of  Longfeather  was  an  honored  guest. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

SASSACUS    THE    PEQUOT 

THIS  utter  destruction  of  the  ship  and  of  her 
entire  company  gave  great  satisfaction  not  only 
to  the  young  Indian  who  had  suffered  so  much  on 
her  but  to  the  Saganaga,  who  were  at  that  time 
feeling  very  bitter  against  white  men  on  account 
of  the  recent  stealing  of  a  number  of  their  tribe 
to  be  sold  into  slavery.  It  had  been  the  usual 
case  of  a  cordial  welcome  to  the  strangers  from 
beyond  the  sea,  a  brisk  trade  by  which  the  confi 
dence  of  the  Indians  was  won,  and  then  a  sudden 
sailing  with  some  twenty  of  them  on  board.  Now, 
thanks  to  Nahma,  the  Lenni  Lenape  were  re 
venged  and  their  hearts  were  lightened  of  a 
burden. 

Also  they  had  acquired  wealth  beyond  their 
wildest  dreams,  and  were  very  grateful  to -him 
who  had  thrown  it  in  their  way.  He  did  not  tell 
them  that  he  had  been  a  slave  in  the  white  man's 
country,  for  he  was  determined  to  keep  that  hu- 
270 


SASSACUS    THE   PEQUOT  271 

miliating  knowledge  to  himself.  So  he  only  gave 
them  to  understand  that  he  too  had  been  kid 
napped,  and  let  them  imagine  it  to  have  been  of 
recent  occurrence. 

They  had*  at  once  recognized  the  Belt  of  Seven 
Totems  that  Nahma  wore  diagonally  across  his 
breast  when  first  appearing  among  them,  though 
no  member  of  their  tribe  had  ever  before  seen  it. 
They,  however,  knew  it  from  description  ;  for, 
among  American  Indians,  tribal  totems  and  the 
belts  of  principal  chieftains  were  as  well  known 
as  are  the  banners  cf  European  nations,  and  the 
coats  of  arms  of  their  rulers,  among  white  men. 
The  Saganaga  also  knew  that  none  but  Long- 
feather  or  his  eldest  son  might  wear  the  Belt  of 
Seven  Totems,  and  so  they  treated  Nahma  with 
every  mark  of  consideration. 

Finding  that  he  was  desirous  of  returning  at 
once  to  his  own  country,  they  furnished  him  with 
clothing,  weapons,  and  a  belt  of  wampum  bearing 
the  likeness  of  a  serpent,  which  he  was  to  deliver 
to  the  Peacemaker  as  a  badge  of  friendship. 
They  also  provided  an  escort  of  young  warriors, 
who  would  guide  him  to  the  country  of  the  Pa- 


2 72  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

vonias.  These  people,  who  were  a  branch  of  the 
Saganaga,  occupied  the  territory  lying  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Shatemuc  at  the  point  where 
it  flows  into  the  sea,  and  they  willingly  furnished 
Nahma  with  a  canoe  in  which  to  continue  his 
journey. 

Launching  this  craft  on  the  waters  of  the  nar 
row,  tide-swept  channel  afterwards  known  as  the 
Kill  von  Kull,  and  receiving  from  his  friends  a 
goodly  store  of  parched  corn,  our  traveller  set 
forth  alone  on  the  last  stage  of  his  homeward 
journey. 

On  leaving  the  Kill  he  crossed  New  York 
Bay,  undotted  by  a  single  sail,  passed  the  densely 
wooded  island  that  was  to  be  known  as  "Gov 
ernor's,"  and  entered  the  East  River.  Here  he 
came  upon  a  scene  of  enchanting  beauty.  On 
his  right  stretched  the  level  salt  marshes  and 
wooded  plains  of  Long  Island.  On  the  other 
hand  lay  rock-ribbed  Manhattan,  rugged  with 
hills  and  valleys,  among  which  sparkled  many 
crystal  springs  and  rippling  brooks.  It  was  cov 
ered  from  end  to  end  and  from  water's  edge  to 
water's  edge  with  groves  of  stately  forest-trees 


SASSACUS   THE    PEQUOT  273 

interspersed  with  grassy  glades  in  which  fed 
herds  of  deer.  Over  all  was  flung  the  exquisite 
veil  of  a  May  verdure,  while  the  air  was  heavy 
with  the  scent  of  blossoms  and  filled  with  the 
song  of  mating  birds.  On  the  river's  edge 
brown  rocks  were  fringed  with  fantastic  sea- 
growths  that  waved  in  the  swift  tide  like  banners 
streaming  in  a  breeze. 

Brooding  ducks  and  wading  heron  peopled 
every  placid  cove,  fish  leaped  from  the  clear 
waters,  and  white-plumed  gulls  flecked  the  blue 
sky.  The  beauty  and  peace  of  nature  reigned 
undisturbed  over  all ;  for,  as  yet,  no  Old  World 
keel  had  cleaved  those  waters,  and  the  site  of 
what  was  destined  to  become  the  greatest  city 
of  the  earth  was  still  untainted  by  the  blight  of 
civilization.  Nor  did  Nahma  see  a  human  being 
on  his  whole  journey  from  bay  to  sound.  In  the 
place  destined  to  hold  millions  of  his  kind  he  was 
alone. 

Skirting  the  northern  shore  of  Long  Island 
Sound,  the  solitary  voyager,  always  taking  pains 
to  avoid  observation,  passed  the  country  of  the 
Mohicans  and  entered  upon  that  of  the  Pequots. 

18 


274  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

During  the  four  days  thus  occupied  he  had 
not  held  communication  with  any  man,  having 
shunned  alike  the  infrequent  villages  of  bark  huts 
and  the  camp-fires  of  fishermen  or  shell  gatherers, 
as  well  as  their  canoes.  He  did  not  wish  to  be 
delayed  or  recognized  before  reaching  the  coun 
try  of  his  own  people.  Consequently  he  hesi 
tated  for  a  moment  when,  on  the  fourth  day  of 
his  journey,  he  discovered  two  figures  in  a  canoe 
making  signals  of  distress. 

They  were  midway  between  an  island  lying 
several  miles  off  shore  and  the  mainland,  and 
their  canoe  was  so  low  in  the  water  that  it 
seemed  about  to  sink.  One  of  the  figures  was 
that  of  a  man,  who  was  paddling  with  desperate 
energy,  while  the  other,  evidently  a  woman,  was 
furiously  bailing  water  from  the  sinking  craft. 
Only  for  a  moment  did  Nahma  hesitate,  and 
then  he  headed  with  all  speed  in  that  direction. 

The  water-logged  canoe  sank  before  he  reached 
it ;  but,  within  a  few  minutes,  he  had  rescued  the 
survivors,  and  they  were  safely  bestowed  in  his 
own  craft.  With  this  accomplished,  he  started 
towards  the  land  that  had  been  their  objective- 


SASSACUS    THE   PEQUOT  275 

point  when,  as  he  afterwards  learned,  their  canoe 
had  been  pierced  and  ripped  open  by  a  sword-fish. 
Whether  this  had  been  done  with  malice,  playfully, 
or  by  accident  they  could  not  tell  ;  but  it  had  so 
endangered  their  lives  that  they  would,  almost  of 
a  certainty,  have  drowned  had  not  the  stranger 
come  to  their  rescue. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  by  any  one  of  the 
three  until  the  canoe  had  nearly  gained  the  land. 
Then  the  rescued  man,  who,  though  young,  was 
of  commanding  aspect,  turned  from  his  paddling 
in  the  bow  and  said, — 

"  Thou  hast  saved  us  from  death  and  I  will 
not  forget  it.  I  am  Sassacus,  chief  of  the  Pequots." 

Nahma's  heart  leaped  within  him.  The  Pequots 
formed  one  of  the  tribes  acknowledging  the 
authority  of  his  father,  and  this  youth  was  his 
own  cousin.  He  was  about  to  make  reply,  when 
the  other  continued:  "I  perceive  thou  art  a 
stranger,  and  if  thy  business  be  not  too  pressing, 
my  lodge  would  be  honored  to  shelter  thee  as  a 
guest." 

"  Gladly  would  I  tarry,"  was  the  reply,  "but  I 
may  not,  for  I  bear  a  belt  from  the  Saganaga 


276  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

to  Longfeather  the  Peacemaker,  that  must  be 
promptly  delivered.  The  name  by  which  I  am 
known  is  Massasoit." 

The  Pequot  chieftain  turned  and  gazed  keenly 
at  the  speaker.  "  Have  not  the  Lenni  Lenape 
learned  that  Longfeather  has  gone  the  great 
journey?"  he  asked. 

"  Dead  !  Longfeather  dead,  and  I  not  with  him 
at  the  end  !"  cried  Nahma,  shocked  by  the  sud 
denness  of  this  news  into  an  unpremeditated 
betrayal  of  feeling.  "  When  did  he  die,  and  how  ? 
Was  he  killed  in  battle?" 

"  He  went  to  the  place  of  Okis  when  the  willow 
leaves  were  the  size  of  mouse-ears,  and  he  was 
killed  by  the  pale-faces  who  come  from  the  sea 
with  death  and  destruction  in  their  hands," 
answered  the  young  chieftain,  bitterly. 

"Killed  by  the  white  man!"  gasped  Nahma, 
his  face  growing  black  and  the  cords  of  his  neck 
swelling  with  rage.  "Then  by  his  blood  I 
swear " 

"  Wait,"  commanded  Sassacus.  "  Not  directly 
did  the  men  from  the  sea  take  his  life,  nor  was 
his  blood  shed.  With  the  falling  of  leaves  one 


SASSACUS   THE   PEQUOT  277 

of  their  winged  canoes  came  to  land  near  Mon- 
taup.  From  it  were  set  on  shore  two  men  more 
nearly  dead  than  living.  Then  the  great  canoe 
departed,  leaving  them  to  die.  The  dwellers  of 
that  country  took  pity  on  them  and  cared  for 
them  ;  but  they  died,  and  in  a  short  time  all  who 
had  gone  near  them  were  also  dead.  The  plague 
spread  from  the  Pokanokets  to  the  Nausets,  the 
Nipmucks,  the  Naticks,  the  Abenakis,  and  may 
still  be  spreading  in  the  land  of  cold,  though  on 
this  side  it  was  stayed  by  the  coming  of  warm 

weather,  and  thy Longfeather  was  the  last 

to  die  of  it." 

For  a  few  moments  Nahma  sat  silent.  Then, 
lifting  his  face,  on  which  were  unconcealed  traces 
of  a  mighty  grief,  he  said,  "I  will  go  with  thee, 
Sassacus." 

"It  is  well,"  replied  the  other,  and  no  further 
word  was  spoken  between  them  until  after  a 
landing  was  made.  Even  then  the  subject  that 
had  so  greatly  affected  the  new-comer  was  not 
again  mentioned  until  after  he  had  been  taken  to 
the  lodge  of  the  young  chieftain  and  refreshed. 
This  having  been  done,  the  guest  requested  that 


278  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

his  host  would  walk  apart  with  him,  and  when 
they  were  by  themselves  he  said, — 

"  Thy  news  of  the  Peacemaker  hath  so  con 
fused  my  plans  that  I  am  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed 
and  would  learn  further  from  thee.  First  I  would 
know  who  exercises  authority  in  place  of  the 
great  Wampanoag  ?  Left  he  a  son  to  rule  in  his 
stead?" 

Sassacus  looked  curiously  at  his  guest  as  he 
answered, — 

"  Longfeather  had  a  son  who  should  take  his 
place,  but  he  disappeared  many  moons  ago." 

-How?" 

"No  man  knows  for  a  certainty.  Some  say 
that  he  joined  the  Iroquois,  and  others  that  he 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Hurons  of  the  cold 
land.  In  that  case  there  is  small  chance  of  his 
being  now  alive." 

"  Who,  then,  wears  the  Belt  of  Seven  Totems  ?" 

"No  one  wears  it,"  replied  the  other,  gravely, 
"  for  it  also  disappeared  at  the  same  time.  Mian- 
tinomo  the  Narragansett  claims  the  place  and 
authority  of  Longfeather  in  the  name  of  Canon- 
icus,  his  father,  and  is  even  now  at  Montaup." 


SASSACUS   THE   PEQUOT  279 

"  Miantinomo !"  exclaimed  Nahma,  bitterly. 
"  By  what  right  does  he  make  such  a  claim  ?" 

"  By  the  right  of  a  strong  arm,"  replied  the 
other. 

"Is  he  loved  and  respected  as  was  Long- 
feather?" 

"  No  ;  he  is  hated  by  many  and  feared  by  all." 

"Why,  then,  was  he  allowed  to  assume 
authority?" 

"  Because  there  was  none  other  to  dispute 
him." 

"If  one  should  come ?"  began  Nahma, 

hesitatingly. 

"  If  one  should  come  wearing  the  Belt  of  Seven 
Totems,  or  bearing  other  proof  that  he  is  the  son 
of  Longfeather,"  said  Sassacus  quickly,  and  with 
a  meaning  glance  at  his  companion,  "then  would 
he  find  many  to  support  his  claim." 

For  a  full  minute  Nahma  hesitated,  and  the 
young  men  gazed  steadfastly  at  each  other. 
Then  Nahma  slowly  thrust  a  hand  within  his 
buckskin  shirt,  and,  drawing  forth  the  Belt  of 
Seven  Totems,  displayed  it.  to  his  companion. 

"  Here  is  the  Peacemaker's  badge  of  authority," 


280  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

he  said,  "and  here  also  is  he  who  should  succeed 
him,  for  I  am  Nahma,  son  of  Longfeather." 

"I  have  known  it,  my  brother,"  replied  Sassa- 
cus,  "  since  the  moment  I  saw  thy  face  on  hear 
ing  news  of  thy  father's  death,  but  I  would  not 
speak  till  thou  hadst  spoken.  Now,  however,  I 
gladly  acknowledge  thee  as  my  sachem,  and  will 
at  once  make  public  announcement  of  thy 
coming." 

"  Not  so,"  objected  Nahma.  "  For  the  present, 
and  until  I  can  meet  Miantinomo  face  to  face,  I 
must  be  Massasoit  of  the  Lenni  Lenape.  If, 
however,  my  brother  will  go  to  Montaup  with  a 
following  of  his  young  men,  I  will  gladly  travel 
in  his  company." 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

A    ROYAL    HOME-COMING 

BY  murder,  treachery,  fraud,  and  force  Mian- 
tinomo  the  Narragansett  had  finally  attained  the 
position  upon  which  he  had  so  long  cast  envious 
eyes.  At  the  death  of  Longfeather  he  had 
caused  himself  to  be  proclaimed  Peacemaker,  or 
ruler  of  the  confederated  New  England  tribes,  in 
the  name  of  his  adopted  father,  who  was  now 
too  old  to  take  an  active  part  in  affairs  of  this 
kind.  The  various  stories  concerning  Nahma, 
circulated  from  time  to  time,  had  not  disturbed 
him,  for  did  he  not  know  that  his  rival  was  dead  ? 
Nor  had  he  any  fear  that  the  Belt  of  Seven 
Totems  would  ever  again  be  seen  in  those  parts, 
since  he  had  given  it  to  a  white  trader  in  ex 
change  for  a  hatchet,  and  it  had  been  carried  to 
that  mysterious  place  beyond  the  sea  from  which 
nothing  ever  returned. 

He  had  also  learned  with  satisfaction  of  Sacan- 
daga's  death,  for  that  chieftain  was  the  only  red 

281 


282      THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

man  who  had  ever  seen  the  belt  in  his  possession. 
With  all  traces  of  his  own  treacherous  dealings 
thus  wiped  out,  the  ambitious  young  man  had  no 
hesitation  in  proclaiming  Canonicus,  his  father, 
to  be  Longfeather's  successor  by  virtue  of  his 
position  as  head  of  the  strongest  tribe  in  the 
confederation. 

Although  Miantinomo  was  generally  disliked, 
no  person  felt  strong  enough  to  dispute  this 
claim,  and  so  he  was  sullenly  accepted  as  Law 
giver  of  the  tribes.  In  this  capacity  he  hastened 
to  take  possession  of  Montaup,  which  had 
become  the  recognized  seat  of  government. 

There  he  at  once  proceeded  to  belie  his  as 
sumed  character  of  Peacemaker  by  making  prep 
arations  on  a  large  scale  for  invading  the  country 
of  the  Iroquois.  He  had  never  forgiven  them 
for  refusing  to  treat  with  him  simply  as  a  Narra- 
gansett,  and  now  that  he  was  in  a  position  to 
command  a  war-party  equal  to  any  they  could 
put  in  the  field,  he  believed  the  time  for  humili 
ating  them  had  come.  He  sent  a  runner  to  the 
Hurons  urging  them  to  attack  the  Iroquois  from 
the  north  about  the  time  that  he  proposed  to 


A   ROYAL   HOME-COMING  283 

cross  the  Shatemuc,  and  he  imagined  that  the 
combination  thus  formed  would  prove  overpower 
ing.  He  also  hoped  that  all  this  warlike  activity 
would  divert  the  thoughts  of  those  who  were 
displeased  with  his  usurpation  of  authority,  and 
he  knew  that  a  successful  war  would  firmly 
establish  his  position. 

So  Miantinomo  had  sent  messengers  to  every 
tribe  and  clan  of  the  New  England  Confederacy 
bidding  their  warriors  assemble  at  Montaup,  and 
already  were  a  great  number  thus  gathered. 
Among  others  Sassacus  had  received  a  summons 
to  this  effect,  but  the  fiery  Pequot  had  determined 
to  disobey  it  and  risk  the  consequences.  Now, 
however,  the  coming  of  Nahma  had  so  changed 
the  aspect  of  affairs  that  he  gladly  accepted  the 
invitation  to  present  himself  at  Montaup  accom 
panied  by  a  strong  body  of  picked  warriors. 

Miantinomo,  who  had  feared  that  Sassacus 
more  than  any  other  might  rebel  against  his  self- 
assumed  authority,  received  him  with  effusive 
hospitality. 

"Now  do  I  know,"  he  said,  "that  my  under 
taking  against  the  arrogant  Iroquois  will  succeed, 


284  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

since  they  have  no  warriors  to  equal  the  Pequots 
in  bravery." 

"It  is  good  that  you  esteem  my  young  men 
so  highly,"  replied  Sassacus,  "and  it  is  certain 
that  they  will  do  what  may  be  to  establish  firmly 
the  power  of  the  Peacemaker.  I  am  also  accom 
panied  to  Montaup  by  one  who  will  doubtless 
prove  more  welcome  than  all  the  others.  He  is 
a  medicine-man  of  the  Saganaga,  who  brings  to 
the  Peacemaker  a  belt  of  friendship  from  his 
people." 

"  Say  you  so !"  exclaimed  Miantinomo,  his 
dark  face  lighting  with  pleasure,  for  an  alliance 
with  the  Lenni  Lenape  of  the  south  as  well  as 
one  with  the  Hurons  of  the  north  would  render 
him  invincible.  " Where  is  he?  Why  has  he 
not  already  been  brought  to  the  lodge  of 
council?" 

"He  is  an  old  man  and  weary,  who  secludes 
himself  from  the  common  gaze  in  a  lodge  of 
skins  that  was  pitched  for  him  as  soon  as  the 
canoes  came  to  land,"  replied  Sassacus.  "  He 
desires  not  to  make  his  message  public,  since  it  is 
for  your  ears  alone.  For  this  reason  he  requests 


A   ROYAL    HOME-COMING  285 

that  a  new  medicine-lodge  be  erected  in  which  he 
may  receive  you  in  private  and  with  ceremonies 
befitting  so  important  an  occasion." 

"  An  old  man  say  you  ?"  inquired  Miantinomo, 
doubtfully. 

"  He  has  every  appearance  of  extreme  age 
and  decrepitude." 

"  Have  you  seen  the  belt  that  he  bears?" 

"  I  have  seen  it,  and  know  it  to  be  a  serpent- 
belt  of  the  Saganaga.  He  hopes  also  to  take 
one  from  you,  that  his  people  may  know  his 
mission  to  have  been  truly  performed.  If  his 
terms  be  not  granted,  then  with  his  belt  will  he 
depart  to  the  land  of  the  Iroquois." 

"  Without  doubt  I  will  grant  all  that  he  asks," 
replied  Miantinomo,  hastily,  "for  a  friendship  with 
the  Saganaga  may  not  be  thrown  away.  At  once 
shall  a  medicine-lodge  be  built,  and  when  next 
the  shadows  are  shortest  then  will  I  meet  him." 

"  If  it  is  your  pleasure  I  will  see  to  the  building 
of  the  lodge,"  said  Sassacus. 

''It  is  my  pleasure,"  answered  the  other,  and 
with  this  the  interview  ended. 

By   noon   of   the   following  day  the  medicine- 


286  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

lodge,  a  simple  affair  of  poles  and  bark,  stood 
finished  on  the  edge  of  a  cleared  space  that 
formed  the  public  gathering-place  of  Montaup. 
It  was  a  mere  shell  bare  of  all  furnishings,  as  was 
noted  by  the  many  curious  persons  who  peeped 
in  at  its  open  doorway.  The  news  that  something 
of  absorbing  interest  was  to  take  place  within  it 
had  attracted  a  large  assemblage  to  its  vicinity, 
where  they  waited  with  eager  curiosity. 

At  the  same  time  there  was  but  little  mingling 
of  those  belonging  to  the  several  tribes  repre 
sented.  The  Narragan setts,  with  Miantinomo 
seated  in  front  of  them,  were  grouped  by  them 
selves  close  to  the  lodge  but  a  little  to  one  side. 
Although  they  outnumbered  any  of  the  visiting 
delegations,  they  formed  but  a  fraction  of  the 
whole  gathering. 

Opposite  to  them  and  equally  near  the  lodge 
stood  the  Pequots  with  the  plumed  head  of 
Sassacus  towering  above  them,  and  beside  him 
stood  our  old  acquaintance,  Samoset. 

The  Wampanoags  were  there  in  full  force 
supported  by  a  large  delegation  of  their  near 
relatives,  the  Pokanokets.  Besides  these  were 


A    ROYAL    HOME-COMING  287 

representatives  of  every  New  England  tribe  that 
had  acknowledged  the  authority  of  Longfeather. 
All  were  warriors,  armed  as  for  battle,  and  headed 
by  their  most  experienced  chiefs. 

About  half  an  hour  before  the  sun  attained  his 
meridian  a  distant  chanting  of  voices,  accompa 
nied  by  the  measured  beating  of  medicine-drums, 
announced  the  opening  of  the  ceremonies,  and  a 
buzz  of  expectation  swept  over  the  great  assembly. 

Then  appeared  a  procession  of  medicine-men 
clad  in  fantastic  garb  calculated  to  inspire  those 
who  beheld  it  with  awe.  Most  prominent  among 
them  was  an  old  man  enveloped  in  a  long  robe 
of  costly  furs.  He  was  so  feeble  and  bent  with 
age  that  he  leaned  heavily  upon  a  stick  and  was 
also  supported  by  two  attendants.  Directly  in 
front  of  him  walked  a  boy,  very  proud  of  his 
honorable  position,  and  bearing  in  outstretched 
hands  the  wampum  serpent-belt  of  the  Saganaga 
so  displayed  that  all  might  see  it. 

The  procession  halted  before  the  lodge,  while 
its  members  engaged  in  a  medicine-dance,  circling 
with  furious  gestures  and  wild  cries  about  the 
central  figure  of  the  old  man.  Precisely  at  the 


288  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

hour  of  noon  the  dancing  came  to  an  abrupt  end, 
and  the  old  medicine-man,  taking  from  the  boy 
who  had  borne  it  the  belt  of  the  Saganaga, 
entered  the  empty  lodge  alone. 

For  a  few  minutes  his  voice  was  heard  in  the 
feeble  chanting  of  an  incantation,  and  then  it  in 
vited  the  presence  of  the  Peacemaker.  Upon 
this  Miantinomo  stepped  forth  without  hesitation 
and  entered  the  lodge,  vanishing  from  sight 
beyond  its  heavy  curtain  of  double  deer-skins. 
The  light  of  the  interior  was  so  dim  that  for  a 
moment  he  could  see  nothing  ;  then  he  made  out 
the  form  of  its  solitary  occupant  standing  before 
him,  and  holding  the  belt  that  he  believed  was  to 
confirm  him  in  his  assumed  position.  The  old 
man,  leaning  on  his  stick,  was  still  enveloped  in 
the  long  robe  that  covered  him  from  head  to  foot. 

Gazing  steadfastly  at  Miantinomo,  he  said, 
sternly, — 

"  Why  dost  thou  come  here  ?  I  summoned 
Longfeather  the  Peacemaker." 

"  He  is  dead,"  replied  the  other,  "  and  I " 

"  Then  should  his  son  Nahma  have  come  in  his 
place,"  interrupted  the  old  man. 


A    ROYAL    HOME-COMING  289 

"  He,  too,  is  dead,"  said  Miantinomo;  "  that  is," 
he  added,  hastily,  "he  is  dead  to  this  people,  for 
he  is  a  traitor  and  dwells  in  the  lodges  of  their 
enemies." 

"Thou,  then,  art  authorized  to  fill  his  place?" 

"I  am  so  authorized  by  Canonicus,  my  father, 
and  will  seek  to  wipe  out  the  shame  cast  upon 
the  name  of  Longfeather  by  his  unworthy  son." 

"Why,  then,  dost  thou  not  wear  the  Peace 
maker's  badge  of  authority,  the  great  Belt  of 
Seven  Totems  ?" 

"  Because  it  was  stolen  and  carried  away  by 
Nahma  the  renegade." 

"Now  do  I  know  that  thou  liest  !"  exclaimed 
the  old  man  with  an  energy  of  voice  as  startling 
as  it  was  unexpected.  "  Thou  knowest,  better 
than  any  other,  that  the  son  of  Longfeather  was 
foully  murdered  while  he  slept  on  the  farther  bank 
of  the  Shatemuc.  Thou  knowest  that  his  body, 
stripped  of  its  badge  of  authority,  was  flung  into 
the  river.  Thou  knowest  that  the  Belt  of  Seven 
Totems,  first  used  to  blind  the  eyes  of  Sacandaga, 
was  afterwards  sold  to  a  white-faced  trader  that  it 
might  disappear  forever  beyond  the  salt  waters. 

19 


2 9o  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

Thou  knowest  who  first  put  in  circulation  the 
false  tale  that  the  son  of  Longfeather  was  a  traitor 
and  a  renegade.  Thou  knowest,  and  I  know,  for 
such  things  may  not  be  hid  from  the  Okis.  Also 
will  I  prove  to  thee  that  the  dead  may  live,  and 
that  evil  designs  may  come  to  naught  even  when 
they  seem  most  likely  to  succeed.  Look,  then, 
and  tremble,  thou  dog  of  a  murderer." 

With  these  words  the  dimly  outlined  form  of 
the  old  man  straightened  into  erectness,  his  stick 
fell  to  the  ground,  he  flung  back  his  enveloping- 
robe,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  slab  of  bark 
dropped  from  the  roof  of  the  lodge,  allowing  a 
flood  of  noonday  sunlight  to  stream  on  the  place 
where  he  stood. 

For  an  instant  Miantinomo  stared  dumbly  at 
the  figure,  young,  tall,  and  handsome,  richly  clad 
and  wearing  across  its  breast  the  Peacemaker's 
Belt  of  Seven  Totems,  that  gazed  sternly  at  him 
with  accusing  eyes.  Then,  with  a  great  cry  of 
terror,  he  rushed  from  the  lodge  and  fled  like  one 
who  is  pursued  by  a  deadly  vengeance  in  the 
direction  of  the  nearest  forest. 

As    the  startled  assemblage,   gathered  to  wit- 


LOOK,    THEN,    AND    TREMBLE,    THOU    DOG   OF    A    MURDERER' 


A    ROYAL    HOME-COMING  291 

ness  his  crowning  triumph,  gazed  after  the  flying 
figure  in  bewilderment,  their  attention  was  further 
attracted,  and  they  were  thrilled  by  a  shout  of 
joyful  amaze.  Instantly  all  eyes  were  again 
turned  towards  the  lodge,  where  in  place  of  an  old 
medicine-man  stood  a  young  chieftain,  as  noble  a 
specimen  of  his  race  as  ever  trod  American  soil. 
Depending  from  one  shoulder  was  the  long-lost 
Belt  of  Seven  Totems  and  from  the  other  a 
serpent-belt  of  the  Saganaga.  At  his  feet  knelt 
Samoset,  crying  out  that  it  was  indeed  his  brother 
and  his  master,  Nahma,  the  son  of  Longfeather. 

"  I  am  the  son  of  Longfeather,  and  I  was 
Nahma,"  said  the  young  man,  so  distinctly  that 
all  might  hear.  "  But  now  and  henceforth  am  I 
Massasoit  the  Peacemaker." 

Upon  this  the  whole  assemblage,  led  by  Sassa- 
cus  and  his  loyal  Pequots,  broke  into  a  joyous 
tumult  of  welcome  and  crowded  about  the  youth 
who,  so  long  lost  to  them,  had  been  thus  marvel 
lously  restored  to  his  rightful  position.  Only  the 
Narragansetts  took  advantage  of  the  glad  con 
fusion  to  steal  away  unnoticed  and  follow  the 
trail  of  their  dishonored  leader. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

IN    THE    COUNCIL-LODGE 

MASSASOIT  could  not  relate  the  whole  story 
of  his  adventurous  wanderings,  since  no  Indian 
known  to  have  been  a  slave  might  afterwards  be 
accepted  as  a  leader  among  his  people.  Conse 
quently  he  omitted  all  reference  to  his  unhappy 
experiences  in  England.  Nor  did  he  ever  men 
tion  that  he  had  crossed  the  great  salt  waters  ; 
but  he  told  of  his  adventures  among  the  Iroquois, 
as  a  captive  to  the  Hurons,  while  in  Quebec,  and 
on  a  ship  that  was  to  have  carried  him  into  slavery 
among  the  Yengeese  of  the  south.  He  described 
the  destruction  of  that  ill-fated  craft,  together  with 
the  loss  of  her  company,  his  own  welcome  at  the 
hands  of  the  Saganaga,  and  his  homeward  jour 
ney,  to  all  of  which  the  assemblage  listened  with 
breathless  attention.  In  conclusion,  the  young 
chieftain  said, — 

"  I  have  told  all  there  is  to  tell.     When  I  left 
you   Longfeather  ruled  this  land.     He  has  gone 
292 


IN   THE   COUNCIL-LODGE  293 

from  you  never  to  return.  I  am  his  son,  and  it 
was  his  wish  that  I  should  be  Peacemaker  in  his 
place.  If  that  be  also  your  desire,  or  if  it  be  not, 
now  is  the  time  to  speak.  Will  you  have  Massa- 
soit  for  your  sagamore  or  another?" 

Standing"  very  straight  and  gazing  proudly 
about  him,  the  young  man  awaited  an  answer, 
and  it  was  promptly  given.  First  came  Sassacus, 
saying, — 

"The  Pequots  accept  Massasoit  as  their  Peace 
maker  and  will  listen  to  his  words." 

After  him  in  grave  procession  came  the  chiefs 
to  tender  their  allegiance  ;  and  a  few  days  later 
the  venerable  Canonicus  came  also,  for  Massasoit 
had  not  told  that  Miantinomo  had  attempted  to 
murder  him,  and  so  the  Narragansetts  were  not 
yet  outcast  from  the  federation. 

Thus  did  Massasoit  occupy  his  father's  place  in 
the  great  lodge  of  council,  while  his  authority  was 
acknowledged  from  the  Shatemuc  to  the  sea,  and 
from  the  country  of  the  Mohicans  to  that  of  the 
Hurons,  who  dwelt  near  the  great  river  of  the 
north. 

With  his  position  thus  established,  the  young 


294  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

sachem,  leaving  Sassacus  to  hold  Montaup  dur 
ing  his  absence,  set  forth  on  an  expedition  of  the 
utmost  importance  both  to  himself  and  to  his 
people.  It  had  three  objects  :  first,  to  find  his 
mother,  who  had  fled  from  Miantinomo  ;  second, 
to  restore  the  peaceful  relations  with  the  Iroquois 
that  had  been  threatened  by  the  usurper  ;  and 
last,  but  by  no  means  least,  to  visit  the  lodge  of 
Kaweras. 

As  a  following  worthy  of  his  rank  he  took 
with  him  one  hundred  warriors,  and  with  these 
he  pressed  forward  over  the  trail  that  he  had 
followed  as  a  youth  three  years  earlier.  At  the 
village  of  Peace,  on  the  river  of  sweet  waters,  he 
found  Miantomet,  and  raised  her  in  a  moment 
from  the  dejection  of  a  childless  fugitive  to  a 
proud  motherhood,  with  the  son,  whom  she  had  so 
long  mourned  as  dead,  once  more  restored  to  her. 

But  only  for  a  short  time  might  these  two  enjoy 
their  reunion,  for  Massasoit  found  that  whole  sec 
tion  of  country  alarmed  over  an  invasion  of 
Hurons,  who  were  said  to  ,be  coming  down  the 
valley  of  the  Shatemuc  in  formidable  numbers. 
So  he  pushed  on,  hoping  to  form  a  junction  with 


IN   THE    COUNCIL-LODGE  295 

the  Iroquois  before  the  common  enemy  should 
arrive. 

The  eastern  Iroquois  or  Maquas  were  hard  be 
set.  Two  powerful  expeditions  had  descended 
at  once  upon  the  country  of  the  Five  Nations. 
One,  under  leadership  of  our  old  acquaintance 
Champlain,  had  crossed  Lake  Ontario,  penetrated 
deep  into  the  territory  of  the  Oneidas,  and  was 
supposed  to  be  advancing  upon  the  Maquas  from 
the  west.  Another  expedition,  accompanied  by 
three  white  men,  was  coming  from  the  north  by 
way  of  the  Shatemuc,  and  already  were  fugitives 
flying  before  them  to  the  palisaded  villages, 
bringing  sad  tales  of  rapine  and  destruction. 
As  though  this  state  of  affairs  were  not  bad 
enough,  it  was  reported  that  the  New  England 
tribes,  led  by  Miantinomo,  were  advancing  from 
the  east.  Thus  it  seemed  as  though  the  Maquas 
were  doomed  to  destruction,  and  a  feeling  of 
despair  had  seized  upon  the  warriors  gathered 
for  the  defence  of  their  three  palisaded  strong 
holds. 

One  night,  during  this  unhappy  condition  of 
suspense,  a  group  of  chief  men  were  seated 


296  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

about  a  small  fire  in  the  council-house  of  the 
easternmost  village,  gloomily  discussing  the  situ 
ation.  News  had  come  that  the  enemy  was  close 
at  hand,  and  that  the  village  would  be  assaulted 
by  overwhelming  numbers  on  the  morrow.  So 
oppressed  were  the  councillors  by  the  hopeless 
ness  of  their  situation  that  for  some  time  they 
sat  in  silence,  and  one  among  them  appeared  to 
be  dozing,  as  though  exhausted. 

Suddenly  this  one,  who  was  our  old  friend 
Kaweras,  awoke,  uttering  an  exclamation  of 
pleasure,  and  looked  about  him  with  smiling 
cheerfulness. 

"What  pleases  my  brother?"  asked  he  who 
sat  nearest.  "  Has  he  seen  a  vision  of  the  spirit 
land  to  which  all  of  us  will  go  before  the  setting 
of  another  sun  ?" 

"No,"  replied  Kaweras.  "It  is  not  yet  time 
for  visions  of  the  spirit  land." 

"  How  so,  when  even  the  youngest  warrior 
knows  that  we  are  in  no  condition  to  withstand 
an  attack  of  the  Hurons  and  of  those  armed  with 
thunder-sticks  who  accompany  them?" 

"It  is  because  he  who  is  to  deliver  us  even 


IN   THE   COUNCIL-LODGE  297 

now  approaches,  and  in  a  vision  have  I  seen 
him." 

"  Comes  he  from  the  west,  and  is  he  the  Wild- 
Cat  of  the  Oneidas?" 

"  No.  He  is  from  the  east,  and  more  power 
ful  than  the  Wild-Cat  or  any  other  single  chief 
tain  of  the  Iroquois.  He  is  not  of  us,  but  he  has 
already  fought  with  us.  I  have  known  him,  but 
until  now  I  have  not  known  him.  Whence  he 
comes  or  how  he  has  passed  our  young  men  I 
know  not,  but  even  now  he  is  at  hand.  Behold, 
he  is  here  !" 

The  old  man  had  risen  to  his  feet  in  his  excite 
ment,  and  now  stood  staring  eagerly  at  the  skin- 
hung  entrance. 

As  he  finished  speaking  the  curtain  was  drawn 
aside  and  a  young  warrior  stepped  within  the 
lodge.  He  advanced  to  where  the  firelight  fell 
full  upon  his  face,  and  then  stood  motionless  as 
though  awaiting  recognition.  Nor  was  it  long  in 
coming,  for,  after  a  moment  of  silence,  Kaweras 
stepped  forward  with  extended  hand,  uttering  the 
single  word,  "  Massasoit." 

"Yes,  my  father,  it  is  Massasoit,"  was  the  re- 


298  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

ply  ;  but  the  old  man  hardly  noticed  what  was 
said,  for  his  eye  had  fallen  on  a  belt  worn  by  the 
new-comer,  and  he  was  studying  its  devices  with 
an  expression  of  amazement.  Finally  he  said,  in 
a  low  tone, — 

"  It  is  the  Belt  of  Seven  Totems,  the  great 
colier  of  the  Peacemaker." 

"And  I,"  responded  Massasoit,  "am  the 
Peacemaker,  since  I  was  Nahma,  son  of  Long- 
feather.  For  thy  exceeding  kindness  to  me  in 
other  days  am  I  now  come  with  a  war- party  to 
help  the  people  of  Sacandaga  in  their  time  of 
trouble." 

"  How  came  he  inside  our  walls  ?"  asked  one 
of  the  chiefs,  suspiciously. 

"That  will  I  tell  at  another  time,"  replied 
Massasoit.  "  Now  there  are  things  of  more 
importance  to  be  considered." 

The  young  man  did  not  care  to  acknowledge 
that  Aeana  had  given  him  admittance,  but  so  it 
was.  He  had  left  his  warriors  in  concealment 
at  some  distance  from  the  village  while  he  went 
alone  to  discover  the  exact  state  of  affairs. 

That   same   afternoon,    before  warning  of   the 


IN   THE    COUNCIL-LODGE  299 

near  approach  of  the  Hurons  had  been  given, 
he  had  seen  several  women  go  to  a  small  stream 
for  water,  and  recognized  Aeana  among  them. 
After  a  while  he  managed  to  toss  a  small  packet 
so  that  it  fell  at  her  feet.  Glancing  about  with  a 
startled  air,  the  girl  picked  it  up,  and  found  in  it 
the  embroidered  tinder-bag  that  she  had  concealed 
in  her  sister's  gift  to  Massasoit  so  long  ago  that 
she  had  almost  forgotten  the  incident.  As  she 
gazed  at  the  token,  hardly  knowing  whether  to 
be  frightened  or  pleased,  the  low  call  of  a  wood- 
dove  attracted  her  attention  to  a  nearby  thicket. 
Hesitatingly  she  moved  close  enough  to  hear  the 
whispered  words,  "  Be  not  afraid.  I  am  here 
as  a  friend  to  help  the  Maquas  against  their  ene 
mies  ;  but  first  I  would  see  Kaweras.  At  moon- 
setting  will  I  come  alone  to  the  gate,  and  I  rely 
upon  thee  to  give  me  admittance." 

Outwardly  calm,  but  with  a  wildly  fluttering 
heart,  Aeana  rejoined  her  companions  without 
having  been  for  an  instant  out  of  their  sight, 
and  returned  with  them  to  the  village.  There 
she  debated  long  with  herself  as  to  whether 
she  should  tell  her  father  or  Otshata  of  what 


300  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

had  happened ;  but,  until  the  time  of  moon- 
setting,  she  had  not  found  courage  to  do  so. 
She  had  not  meant  to  admit  the  young  warrior 
without  their  knowledge,  especially  as  news  had 
come,  within  an  hour,  of  the  near  approach  of 
the  Hurons  ;  but  a  will  stronger  than  her  own 
seemed  to  compel  her,  and  finally  she  did  as 
Massasoit  desired.  Then,  sadly  frightened,  she 
whispered,  "In  the  council-house  is  Kaweras," 
and  fled  away  into  the  darkness,  leaving  the 
young  man  to  discover  his  bearings  as  best  he 
might. 

Having  at  length  gained  the  council-lodge  and 
being  received  as  already  stated,  Massasoit  was 
compelled  to  answer  many  questions  before  se 
curing  the  confidence  of  all  the  chiefs.  Little  by 
little,  however,  it  was  acquired.  Kaweras  told 
what  he  knew  of  him.  The  belt  that  he  wore 
was  a  potent  influence ;  and  finally  one,  who 
had  been  with  Sacandaga  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  recognized  the  young  man  as  he  who 
had  risked  his  own  life  to  save  that  of  the 
Iroquois  chieftain.  After  that  they  listened  with 
closest  attention  to  all  he  had  to  say.  Thus, 


IN   THE    COUNCIL-LODGE  301 

before  he  left  them,  he  had  outlined  a  plan 
of  operations  for  the  morrow,  or  whenever 
the  Hurons  should  make  an  attack,  that  they 
promised  to  follow. 

Massasoit  also  instructed  the  Iroquois  as  to 
the  nature  of  fire-arms,  which  they  had  heretofore 
regarded  with  all  the  terror  of  ignorance.  He 
described  the  manner  in  which  the  thunder- 
sticks  must  be  loaded  before  becoming  effective 
as  weapons,  and  assured  his  hearers  that,  after 
being  discharged,  they  were  for  a  long  time  no 
more  dangerous  than  so  many  wooden  billets. 
Having  thus  restored  a  cheerful  confidence  to 
the  council,  the  young  chieftain  departed  and 
made  his  way  to  where  his  own  warriors  anx 
iously  awaited  him. 

Immediately  upon  rejoining  these,  and  without 
pausing  to  rest,  he  led  them  on  a  long  detour,  so 
that,  before  daylight,  they  had  gained  a  position 
in  the  rear  of  the  Hurons,  by  whom  the  presence 
of  the  young  Peacemaker  was  as  yet  unsuspected. 

With  the  rising  of  the  sun  hundreds  of  dark 
forms  might  have  been  seen  gliding  stealthily 
from  tree  to  tree  in  the  direction  of  the  Maqua 


302  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

village.  At  a  short  interval  behind  the  last  of 
these  came  another  group  moving  in  the  same 
direction,  but  with  even  greater  caution.  Fore 
most  among  them  was  Massasoit,  leading  his 
people  in  an  enterprise  that  would  make  or 
mar  his  own  reputation  for  all  future  time. 

Suddenly  the  morning  stillness  of  the  forest 
was  rudely  broken  by  the  roar  of  three  muskets 
fired  in  quick  succession,  and  the  battle  was 
begun. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

WINNING    A    BATTLE,    A    WIFE,     AND    A    FRIEND 

UPON  the  advice  of  Massasoit,  the  Iroquois 
had  set  up  dummies  to  draw  the  musket-fire  of 
the  enemy  ;  also  most  of  their  young  men  had 
been  placed  in  ambush  outside  the  walls. 
These,  though  few  in  number  as  compared  with 
the  advancing  host  of  Hurons,  sprang  to  their 
feet  with  frightful  yells  and  rushed  towards  the 
place  marked  by  the  smoke  of  the  now  empty 
muskets.  They  seemed  doomed  to  certain  de 
struction,  and  the  Hurons  calmly  awaited  their 
coming.  All  at  once,  and  without  warning,  a 
flight  of  arrows  from  the  rear  brought  a  score 
of  the  invaders  to  the  ground,  and  at  the  same 
moment  the  woods  behind  them  seemed  alive 
with  yelling  foemen. 

For  a  few  minutes  the  bewildered  Hurons, 
thus  entrapped,  fought  desperately.  Then  the 
three  white  men,  who  were  objects  of  Massa 
soit' s  especial  vengeance,  were  killed  while  hur- 

303 


304      THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

riedly  endeavoring  to  reload  their  muskets.  As 
they  fell  their  savage  allies,  who  had  until  now 
regarded  them  as  invincible,  broke  into  a  panic- 
stricken  flight,  each  man  endeavoring  only  to 
save  himself.  After  them  raced  Massasoit  and 
his  warriors,  together  with  the  jubilant  Iroquois, 
and  many  and  fierce  were  the  hand-to-hand  con 
flicts  that  took  place  in  the  dim  forest  coverts  that 
day.  At  its  close,  when  the  wearied  but  exultant 
victors  gathered  once  more  at  the  wildly  rejoicing 
village,  their  trophies  of  scalps  and  prisoners  out 
numbered  their  combined  forces. 

The  following  week  was  devoted  to  the  wildest 
forms  of  savage  festivity,  and  the  rejoicings  were 
redoubled  near  its  close  by  the  arrival  of  a  runner 
from  the  west,  bringing  the  great  news  that  the 
other  invading  force  under  Champlain  had  been 
defeated  and  driven  back  by  the  Onondagas  and 
Oneidas. 

In  all  this  time  of  feasting  Massasoit  was  the 
hero  and  central  figure.  Not  only  had  he  saved 
the  Maqua  village  and  probably  the  whole  tribe 
from  destruction,  but,  on  that  day  of  fighting,  he. 
had  proved  himself  the  foremost  warrior  of  his 


WINNING   A   BATTLE,   WIFE,  AND    FRIEND     305 

people  and  had  brought  in  more  Huron  scalps 
than  any  other. 

He  found  no  difficulty  in  forming  a  compact 
with  the  Iroquois  on  behalf  of  his  own  people,  by 
which  both  were  bound  not  to  cross  the  Shatemuc 
except  for  friendly  visits.  Thus  our  young  chief 
tain  would  have  been  supremely  happy  but  for 
one  thing,  and  that  was  his  treatment  at  the  hands 
of  Aeana. 

This  girl,  who  now  seemed  the  most  beautiful 
and  desirable  of  all  earthly  creatures,  behaved  to 
him  in  a  manner  so  strange  that  he  could  in  no 
wise  account  for  it.  Not  only  did  she  refuse  to 
grant  him  an  interview,  but  she  studiously  avoided 
meeting  him,  and  went  no  longer  with  the  other 
women  to  the  stream  for  water.  Thus  he  had  not 
been  able  to  exchange  a  single  word  with  her,  and 
as  the  time  for  his  departure  drew  near  he  was  in 
despair.  In  his  distress  he  sought  out  Otshata,  as 
he  had  done  once  before,  and,  pouring  out  his 
heart,  asked  her  what  he  should  do. 

Otshata  laughed  in  his  face.  "  What  fools  men 
be  !"  she  said.  "  Dost  thou  not  remember,  Massa- 
soit,  the  time  when  she  bade  thee  fetch  water?" 

20 


3o6  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

"  Well  do  I  remember." 

"  And  thou  performed  the  service?" 

"  Truly,  I  did,  even  as  she  bade  me." 

"And  she  scorned  the  offering  when  it  was 
brought  to  her?" 

"Even  so,  and  taunted  me  with  the  name  of 
'  squaw.'  ' 

"Remembering  that,  art  thou  still  at  a  loss  to 
know  why  she  now  refuses  to  meet  thee  ?" 

"To  my  confusion,  I  am,"  replied  the  puzzled 
youth. 

At  this  Otshata  laughed  again  long  and 
heartily  ;  but  at  length  she  asked, — 

"  Didst  thou  ever  know  a  woman  to  accept 
friendship  with  a  slave  when  a  master  might  be 
had?" 

Then,  still  laughing,  she  ran  away,  leaving  the 
young  man  to  ponder  her  words. 

As  a  result  of  this  conversation,  Massasoit 
announced  that  he  and  his  warriors  would  de 
part  for  their  own  country  on  the  morrow,  and 
at  daylight  of  the  next  morning  they  had  dis 
appeared.  That  day  Aeana,  heavy-hearted  and 
with  lagging  step,  went  with  the  other  women 


WINNING    A    BATTLE,   WIFE,   AND    FRIEND     307 

for  water.  As  she  bent  over  the  stream  an 
exclamation  from  one  of  her  companions  caused 
her  to  look  up  and  directly  into  the  eyes  of  Mas- 
sasoit,  who  stood  on  the  opposite  bank. 

With  a  shrill  cry  of  dismay,  Aeana  turned  and 
fled  towards  the  village  ;  but,  swiftly  as  she  ran, 
Massasoit  overtook  her  ere  she  had  covered  half 
the  distance.  Seizing  her  in  his  arms,  he  picked 
her  up  and,  despite  her  struggles,  bore  her  swiftly 
away.  On  the  edge  of  the  wood  he  paused  to 
utter  a  far-carrying  yell  of  triumph,  and  then, 
still  bearing  his  precious  burden,  he  disappeared 
amid  the  leafy  shadows. 

But  his  defiant  challenge  was  answered,  and 
half  a  dozen  young  Iroquois,  all  of  whom  were 
aspirants  for  the  hand  of  the  arrow-maker's  beau 
tiful  daughter,  dashed  forth  in  hot  pursuit.  This 
race  for  a  bride  was  over  a  forest  course  some 
thing  more  than  a  mile  in  length.  At  its  farther 
end  was  the  Shatemuc  and  a  waiting  canoe  con 
taining  a  single  occupant.  As  Massasoit  gained 
this  and  it  was  shoved  off,  the  foremost  of  his 
pursuers  was  so  close  that  he  fell  into  the  water 
in  a  vain  effort  to  grasp  the  elusive  craft. 


308  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

Beyond  the  river  the  Iroquois  might  not  pass 
by  the  terms  of  their  recent  treaty,  and  thus  on 
its  farther  side,  Massasoit  felt  his  prize  to  be  as 
secure  as  though  he  already  had  her  at  Montaup. 

As  they  stepped  out  on  the  land  that  acknowl 
edged  the  son  of  Longfeather  to  be  its  ruler, 
Aeana  regarded  the  bold  youth  with  eyes  that 
laughed  even  through  their  tears,  and  said,  "I 
hate  you  ;  but  if  you  had  not  done  it,  then 
should  I  have  despised  you  forever." 

So  Massasoit  won  his  bride,  and  in  far-away 
Montaup,  beside  the  great  salt  waters  that  bathe 
the  rising  sun,  no  woman  led  a  happier  life  than 
did  the  daughter  of  Kaweras. 

After  this  several  years  were  passed  in  peace 
ful  content  by  those  New  England  tribes  owning 
the  rule  of  Massasoit.  With  his  superior  knowl 
edge  of  the  world  he  was  able  to  teach  them 
many  things  that  caused  them  to  prosper  as  never 
before.  Only  was  he  worried  by  the  Narragan- 
setts,  who,  while  sullenly  admitting  his  authority, 
awaited  eagerly  an  opportunity  to  renounce  and 
defy  it. 

In   the   mean   time   Aeana   had   presented   the 


WINNING    A    BATTLE,   WIFE;  AND    FRIEND     309 

Peacemaker  with  two  sons,  the  younger  of  whom, 
named  Metacomet,  was  to  become  famous  in  after- 
years  as  King  Philip. 

With  all  his  peace  and  apparent  security  Mas- 
sasoit  had  one  ever-present  fear,  and  it  was  of 
the  white  man.  He  had  a  knowledge  greater 
than  any  of  his  people  concerning  the  number 
and  power  of  these  dwellers  beyond  the  sea, 
and  he  dreaded  lest  they  should  seek  to  obtain 
a  foothold  in  his  country,  as  they  had  already 
done  both  on  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  James. 
As  one  measure  of  precaution  against  this  he 
issued  orders  to  every  New  England  tribe  that 
they  should  hold  no  intercourse  with  any  whites 
attempting  to  trade  on  the  coast.  So  determined 
was  he  to  carry  out  this  policy  that  when  an  un 
fortunate  French  trading  vessel  was  wrecked  on 
a  shore  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  he  caused  her  to 
be  burned,  and  commanded  that  all  survivors  of 
her  crew  be  put  to  death. 

Holding  these  views,  Massasoit  became  very 
angry  when  it  was  reported  to  him  that  the 
Narragansetts,  in  defiance  of  his  authority,  were 
actively  trading  with  an  English  ship  that  had  ap- 


310  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

peared  on  their  coast,  and  he  at  once  determined 
to  make  an  example  that  should  be  remembered. 

A  runner  was  despatched  to  his  trusted  ally 
Sassacus,  whose  country  lay  beyond  that  of  the 
Narragansetts,  ordering  the  Pequots  to  advance 
from  the  west  until  they  should  meet  Massa- 
soit  coming  from  the  opposite  direction.  Then, 
gathering  a  strong  force  from  the  tribes  near  at 
hand,  the  Peacemaker  set  forth  for  the  scene  of 
unlawful  trading. 

So  demoralized  were  the  Narragansetts  by  the 
simultaneous  appearance  of  two  powerful  war- 
parties  within  their  borders  that  they  offered 
only  a  slight  resistance  before  fleeing  to  their 
palisaded  stronghold,  where  they  anxiously 
awaited  the  expected  attack. 

In  the  mean  time  the  captain  of  the  English 
vessel,  which  was  snugly  anchored  in  the  mouth 
of  a  small  river,  where  he  had  been  carrying  on  a 
brisk  and  most  profitable  trade  with  the  Indians, 
was  disgusted  to  have  it  suddenly  cease.  For 
days  a  fleet  of  canoes  had  surrounded  his  ship. 
Now  not  one  was  to  be  seen,  nor  could  any  of 
the  natives  be  discovered  on  shore.  His  recent 


WINNING    A    BATTLE,   WIFE,   AND    FRIEND      311 

great  success  had  been  largely  due  to  the  fact 
that  he  had  on  board  an  English-speaking  Indian, 
through  whom  all  negotiations  had  been  con 
ducted.  When  a  whole  day  had  passed  without 
change  in  the  situation  the  captain  consulted 
with  this  Indian,  and  asked  what  he  supposed 
had  become  of  the  natives. 

"They  be  fearful  to  come  off  since  they  have 
learn  that  you  steal  red  men  for  slaves,"  was  the 
answer. 

"  Ho,  ho  !  Is  that  all  ?  But  think  you,  Squanto, 
that  they  have  any  furs  left?" 

"  Me  think  they  keep  back  many  of  the  best." 
"By  the  Lord  Harry!  Then  must  we  go  to 
them,  since  they  are  afraid  to  come  to  us.  Boat 
away,  there  !  And,  Squanto,  you  may  come  too 
if  you  will  promise  to  make  no  attempt  at  es 
cape." 

"These  be  not  my  people,"  replied  the  Indian, 
evasively. 

''That's  so.  I  picked  you  up  at  a  great  dis 
tance  from  here.  But  never  mind.  If  you  serve 
me  truly  perhaps  I  will  take  you  back  there  some 
day.  Attempt  to  play  me  false,  though,  and  I  will 


312  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

kill  you  as  I  would  a  rat.  Tumble  in,  then,  and 
let  us  hie  ashore." 

It  was  a  strong  boat's  crew  and  heavily  armed 
that  thus  made  a  landing  in  search  of  the  trade 
which  no  longer  came  to  their  ship,  and  they  fol 
lowed  a  plainly  marked  trail  leading  from  the 
beach  to  the  place  where  had  been  an  Indian 
village.  Now  it  was  deserted  and  void  of  life, 
though  their  guide  announced  that  it  had  been 
occupied  as  recently  as  a  few  hours  before. 

While  the  new-comers  were  prowling  about 
with  hopes  of  discovering  something  in  the  way 
of  plunder,  their  attention  was  distracted  by  a 
column  of  smoke  rising  in  the  direction  of  their 
boat.  They  had  left  it  hauled  partially  out  of 
the  water  and  in  charge  of  two  well-armed  men. 
Now,  hastening  back,  they  were  panic-stricken  by 
the  discovery  that  the  boat  was  in  flames.  It  was 
also  badly  crushed,  as  though  it  had  been  lifted 
bodily  and  dropped  on  a  ledge  of  sharp  rocks. 
Worst  of  all,  it  contained  the  dead  bodies  of  those 
who  had  been  left  on  guard.  The  weapons  of 
both  men  were  missing,  and  they  had  been 
scalped  but  not  otherwise  mutilated. 


WINNING    A    BATTLE,   WIFE,  AND    FRIEND     313 

Taking  advantage  of  the  confusion  following 
this  discovery,  the  Indian  guide  dove  into  a 
nearby  thicket  and  disappeared.  A  minute 
later,  while  the  whites  were  huddled  about 
their  burning  boat  attempting  to  extinguish  the 
flames,  a  great  flight  of  arrows,  that  seemed 
to  come  from  every  direction  at  once,  instantly 
killed  more  than  half  their  number.  Then  came 
a  rush  of  yelling  savages,  and  in  another  minute 
but  one  man  was  left  alive.  He  was  wounded, 
but  his  life  had  been  spared  by  the  express 
order  of  Massasoit. 

The  Indian  guide  had  been  made  prisoner, 
bound,  and  left  to  himself;  but  now  that  all 
was  over,  the  young  leader,  ordering  his  warriors 
to  remain  behind,  went  to  him.  Stooping,  he 
severed  the  prisoner's  bonds  and  assisted  him 
to  his  feet.  Then  gazing  steadily  at  him,  he 
cried  in  a  voice  that  trembled  with  emotion, — 

"Tasquanto,  my  brother,  dost  thou  not  re 
member  Massasoit?" 


CHAPTER    XXX 

THE    PILGRIMS    OF    PLYMOUTH 

SINCE  being  separated  from  Massasoit  years 
before  in  Plymouth  harbor,  Tasquanto,  whose 
name  the  English  had  shortened  to  "Squanto," 
had  known  nothing  of  the  fate  of  his  fellow-cap 
tive  beyond  that  he  had  been  sold  as  a  slave  in 
London.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  been  received 
into  the  household  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges, 
Governor  of  Plymouth,  who  had  large  interests 
in  the  New  World,  and  had  been  taught  to  speak 
English.  Then  he  was  sent  on  trading-vessels 
to  act  as  interpreter  between  whites  and  Indians. 
In  this  capacity  he  had  made  several  voyages 
to  America,  but  always  so  closely  guarded  that 
never  until  now  had  he  been  allowed  to  set  foot 
on  his  native  shores. 

Tasquanto  was  so  overcome  at  finding  in  the 
great  sachem  Massasoit,  concerning  whom  he 
had  heard  much,  his  own  long-lost  friend  that 
314 


THE    PILGRIMS    OF    PLYMOUTH  315 

for  a  few  moments  he  was  speechless  with  joyful 
amazement.  When  he  had  succeeded  in  partially 
expressing  this,  he  related  briefly  how  he  hap 
pened  to  be  in  his  present  situation,  and  added 
that  the  cruel  taskmaster  from  whom  he  had  just 
escaped  was  the  same  Captain  Dermer  who  had 
formerly  betrayed  them  into  slavery. 

11 1  knew  it  when  first  I  saw  him  this  morning," 
replied  Massasoit,  grimly,  "for  his  evil  face  has 
ever  been  pictured  in  my  heart.  For  that  reason 
have  I  spared  his  worthless  life  until  I  could  con 
sult  with  thee,  my  brother,  as  to  how  we  may 
best  deal  with  him." 

"Did  you,  then,  know  me  also?"  asked  Tas- 
quanto. 

"The  moment  I  set  eyes  on  thee.  Those 
white  dogs  had  been  slain  an  hour  sooner  but 
for  thy  presence  among  them  and  a  fear  of  doing 
thee  harm.  Now,  what  say  you  ?  Shall  this  man 
be  delivered  to  the  tormentors,  or  shall  he  be 
killed  where  he  lies  ?  It  is  certain  that  his  punish 
ment  must  be  great,  for  he  has  earned  all  that 
may  be  given.  Also  I  do  not  care  that  he  should 
recognize  me  and  spread  the  report  that  I  was 


316  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

once  his  slave,  for  that  would  shame  me  in  the  eyes 
of  my  people.  Thou,  too,  must  ever  keep  secret 
the  matter  of  my  having  crossed  the  salt  waters." 

"I  will  remember/'  replied  Tasquanto.  "As 
for  this  white  man,  I  would  crop  his  ears  with  the 
same  brand  of  ownership  that  he  has  placed  upon 
many  an  Indian  captured  and  sold  into  slavery. 
Then  would  I  let  him  sail  away  in  his  own  ship 
as  a  warning  to  all  other  white  men.  Death  he 
deserves,  since  he  has  treated  many  of  our  people 
to  death  and  worse,  but  to  him  the  shame  of 
cropped  ears  will  be  even  more  bitter  than  death." 

So  favorably  was  Massasoit  impressed  with 
this  idea  that  he  ordered  it  carried  out  at  once. 
Thus,  half  an  hour  later,  the  brutal  Dermer,  who 
had  done  so  much  to  cause  the  name  of  English 
man  to  be  hated  in  the  New  World,  was  set 
adrift  in  a  canoe,  minus  both  his  ears,  and  allowed 
to  depart  to  his  own  ship.  It  is  recorded  in  his 
tory  that  he  reached  Virginia,  where  he  soon 
afterwards  died  from  wounds  received  at  the 
hands  of  New  England  savages. 

Having  thus  satisfactorily  concluded  one  part 
of  his  undertaking,  Massasoit  next  turned  his 


THE    PILGRIMS    OF    PLYMOUTH  317 

attention  to  the  rebel  Narragansetts.  Moving 
his  entire  force  against  their  stronghold,  he  de 
manded  that  all  goods  received  from  the  English 
should  be  delivered  up,  and  also  that  Miantinomo 
should  come  to  his  camp,  bringing  a  chief's  belt 
in  token  of  submission.  Massasoit  swore  that, 
in  case  his  demands  were  refused,  he  would  not 
depart  from  that  place  until  every  rebel  in  the 
fort  was  destroyed.  So  mild  were  these  terms  in 
comparison  with  what  had  been  expected  that 
they  were  instantly  accepted,  and  a  cruel  war 
between  neighbors  was  averted. 

With  peace  thus  restored,  the  authority  of 
Massasoit  over  the  great  territory,  already 
named  New  England  by  Captain  John  Smith, 
was  so  firmly  established  that  until  the  day  of 
his  death  it  was  never  again  questioned. 

But  if  one  of  his  two  chief  causes  for  anxiety 
was  thus  removed,  the  other  was  looming  omi 
nously  near.  Some  six  months  after  Tasquanto's 
escape  from  his  long  captivity  a  little  English 
ship,  buffeted  by  winter  gales  of  the  North 
Atlantic,  was  slowly  approaching  the  American 
coast.  Although  only  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 


3i8  THE   BELT    OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

tons'  burden,  or  about  the  size  of  a  small  coasting 
schooner  of  to-day,  she  carried  one  hundred 
passengers  besides  her  crew  and  an  immense 
quantity  of  freight. 

For  three  months  had  her  passengers — men, 
women,  and  children — been  on  board  the  over 
crowded  little  craft,  and  they  were  sick  for  a  sight 
of  land.  Their  destination  was  the  mouth  of  the 
Shatemuc  or  Hudson  River,  but  their  first  land 
fall,  made  under  a  cold  December  sky,  was  the 
bluff  headland,  stretching  far  out  to  sea  like  a 
beckoning  finger,  that  Gosnold,  some  twenty 
years  earlier,  had  named  the  Cape  of  Cods. 
From  here  the  ship  was  headed  southward  to 
wards  her  destination,  but  soon  became  involved 
in  a  labyrinth  of  shoals  covered  with  roaring 
breakers.  Also  she  was  beaten  by  adverse  gales 
until  her  weary  company  hailed  with  joy  her  cap 
tain's  decision  to  run  back  to  the  safe  shelter  of 
Cape  Cod.  Here,  in  what  is  now  the  harbor 
of  Provincetown,  the  sea-worn  strangers  disem 
barked,  so  profoundly  happy  at  finding  them 
selves  once  more  on  land  that  the  wooded  wilder 
ness  seemed  a  paradise. 


THE    PILGRIMS    OF    PLYMOUTH  319 

They  had  come  to  establish  homes  in  the  New 
World,  and  though  disappointed  at  not  gaining 
the  more  southerly  latitude  for  which  they  had 
set  out,  they  now  determined  to  remain  where 
they  were,  since  it  was  too  late  in  the  season  for 
further  explorations.  Still,  they  spent  two  weeks 
in  examination  of  the  country  close  at  hand,  and 
finally  selected  a  site  for  settlement  across  the 
bay  enclosed  by  Cape  Cod.  Here  was  a  good 
harbor,  plenty  of  fresh  water,  and  much  land 
already  cleared  of  forest  growth  by  its  former 
Indian  occupants. 

They  named  this  place  "  Plymouth"  after  the 
last  English  port  from  which  they  had  sailed,  and 
on  Christmas  day  began  the  work  of  building 
houses. 

During  that  winter  half  of  these  stout-hearted 
settlers  died,  so  that  in  the  early  spring  only 
fifty  persons,  enfeebled  by  the  sickness  from 
which  but  seven  had  wholly  escaped,  remained  to 
make  good  their  claim  to  the  land  they  had  thus 
seized. 

During  all  this  time  the  colonists  had  not 
encountered  any  of  the  native  owners  of  the 


320      THE  BELT  OF  SEVEN  TOTEMS 

soil,  though  they  had  caught  occasional  glimpses 
of  vanishing  forms,  and  often  saw  signal-fires  or 
smokes  that  denoted  the  presence  of  watchful 
observers. 

In  spite  of  these  things  they  did  not  hesitate 
to  appropriate  Indian  property  wherever  they 
found  it.  Thus,  when  they  discovered  hidden 
stores  of  corn  and  parched  acorns,  laid  by  for 
winter  use,  they  promptly  removed  them  to 
Plymouth.  Also  whenever  they  ran  across  an 
Indian  lodge,  they  took  from  it  everything  that 
seemed  to  them  of  value.  They  even  robbed 
Indian  graves  of  their  sacred  relics,  and  these 
things  were  reported  to  Massasoit  by  his  scouts. 

From  the  first  appearance  of  the  Mayflower 
on  the  stormy  horizon  he  had  known  of  all  its 
movements.  He  had  been  relieved  when  it 
started  southward,  and  was  greatly  disturbed  by 
its  return  to  Cape  Cod.  He  was  also  much  puz 
zled  to  account  for  the  doings  of  its  company, 
since  evidently  they  were  neither  traders  nor 
fishermen.  Why  had  they  brought  women  and 
children  with  them  ?  Also  why  had  they  in  the 
first  place  attempted  to  sail  to  the  southward,  if 


THE    PILGRIMS    OF    PLYMOUTH  321 

his  country  was  the  place  they  were  seeking  ? 
He  finally  decided  that  they  must  be  bound  for 
the  Virginia  settlement  of  white  men,  and  were 
only  waiting  until  the  winter  storms  were  over 
before  resuming  their  voyage  to  the  country  of 
Powhatan. 

This  decision  eased  Massasoit's  mind,  for, 
while  he  was  determined  that  no  whites  should 
settle  within  his  boundaries,  he  was  also  averse 
to  unnecessary  bloodshed.  So  he  awaited 
patiently  the  departure  that  he  believed  the 
strangers  would  make  with  the  coming  of  warmer 
weather.  If  they  did  not  so  depart,  he  knew 
that  he  could  wipe  them  out  of  existence  as 
easily  as  he  could  crush  a  worm  that  came  in  his 
path. 

Thus  forbearing  to  disturb  them,  he  waited 
and  watched,  receiving  almost  daily  reports  from 
his  scouts,  who  at  all  times  lurked  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  feeble  settlement.  He  heard  with  grim 
satisfaction  of  their  rapid  decrease  in  numbers, 
and  grew  wroth  at  their  violation  of  Indian  graves 
and  their  appropriation  of  unguarded  Indian 
property.  Still  he  forbore  to  molest  them,  but 

21 


322  THE    BELT    OF    SEVEN    TOTEMS 

as    spring    drew  near  he  sent  Samoset  to  learn 
how  soon  they  intended  to  depart. 

To  his  dismay  this  messenger  brought  back 
word  that  the  English  had  no  intention  of  ever 
again  leaving  the  place  where  they  had  estab 
lished  themselves. 

41  Then  must  I  remind  them  that  I  have  no 
desire  for  their  presence,"  quoth  Massasoit,  and 
at  once  he  sent  out  runners  to  gather  a  large 
force  of  warriors  in  the  vicinity  of  Plymouth. 
Accompanied  by  a  body-guard  of  sixty  men,  the 
sachem  himself  hastened  to  the  place  of  rendez 
vous  and  established  a  camp,  from  which  he  sent 
Tasquanto  among  the  whites  to  learn  in  detail 
their  strength  and  intentions. 

With  his  ready  command  of  English  and  his 
knowledge  of  white  men's  customs,  gained  by 
painful  experience,  Tasquanto  or  "  Squanto,"  as 
he  now  called  himself,  found  no  difficulty  in 
gaining  all  the  information  he  desired  from  the 
strangers.  He  even  learned  their  names  and 

o 

the  relative  rank  held  by  their  leading  men. 

When  Tasquanto  returned  and  reported  these 
things,  he  mentioned  one  name  that  caused  Mas- 


THE    PILGRIMS    OF    PLYMOUTH  323 

sasoit  to  start  and  betray  symptoms  of  great 
agitation. 

"  Art  thou  certain  that  one  among  them  is  so 
called?"  he  asked. 

4<  I  am  certain,"  replied  Tasquanto. 

"Then  go  quickly  and  ask  that  man,  as  he 
values  his  own  life  and  that  of  his  people,  to  meet 
me  alone  by  the  big  pine  that  looks  down  upon 
his  lodges.  I  will  be  there  unaccompanied. 
Stay  !  Take  to  him  this  belt  that  it  may  be  to 
him  a  token  of  safe-conduct  and  true  speaking." 

With  this  Massasoit  removed  from  his  own 
person  the  great  Belt  of  Seven  Totems  and 
handed  it  to  Tasquanto.  He  also  instructed  the 
latter  to  withdraw  beyond  earshot  when  he  had 
conducted  the  white  man  to  the  place  of  meeting. 

Half  an  hour  later  Massasoit,  with  unpainted 
face  and  simply  clad,  stood  alone  at  the  foot  of 
the  great  pine,  looking  down  on  the  group  of 
poor  little  huts  that  sheltered  the  feeble  English 
remnant.  Within  a  mile  of  the  place  were 
gathered  five  hundred  warriors  awaiting  but  a 
signal  from  him  to  utterly  destroy  the  helpless 
settlement. 


324  THE   BELT   OF    SEVEN   TOTEMS 

Then  to  him  came  an  Englishman,  young, 
sturdy,  and  heavily  bearded.  As  he  approached 
within  a  few  paces  he  halted  and  examined  the 
Indian  curiously,  for  he  had  been  told  that  he  was 
to  meet  a  sachem  who  was  ruler  of  many  tribes. 

On  the  other  hand,  Massasoit  gazed  into  the 
bearded  face  of  the  white  man  with  an  eagerness 
that  was  almost  disconcerting.  Then,  as  though 
satisfied  with  his  scrutiny,  he  extended  a  hand, 
exclaiming  as  he  did  so, — 

"  Winslow  !     My  frien  Winslow  !" 

For  a  moment  the  other  hesitated,  then  his 
face  lighted  joyously  as  he  grasped  the  proffered 
hand  in  both  of  his,  crying, — 

"Massasoit?  They  told  me  the  name  of  the 
mighty  chieftain  was  Massasoit,  but  never  did  I 
suspect  that  he  was  the  friend  whom  I  had  found 
and  lost  in  London." 

For  an  hour  the  two,  thus  strangely  brought 
together  after  years  of  distant  wanderings,  held 
converse  with  each  other  while  the  fate  of  the 
New  World  hung  upon  their  words.  When  their 
conversation  was  finally  ended,  Winslow  had 
promised  never  to  reveal  the  fact  that  the  proud 


THE    PILGRIMS   OF    PLYMOUTH  325 

sachem  had  once  been  bought  and  sold  as  a 
slave  in  England.  He  had  also  promised  that 
the  colony  to  which  he  belonged  should  never 
commit  an  act  of  aggression  against  the  people 
of  Massasoit,  but  that  his  friends  should  be  their 
friends  and  his  enemies  their  enemies. 

On  his  part,  and  out  of  an  abounding  gratitude 
for  the  only  friendship  shown  him  at  a  time  when 
he  stood  most  in  need  of  friends,  Massasoit 
agreed  that  the  poor  little  English  settlement 
should  be  allowed  to  exist,  and,  moreover,  prom 
ised  to  protect  it  from  its  enemies  to  the  full 
extent  of  his  power. 

Then  the  two  parted,  the  one  to  go  back  to  his 
wondering  warriors  and  dismiss  them  to  their 
homes,  the  other  to  carry  the  glad  news  into 
Plymouth  that  the  great  Massasoit  was  ready  to 
make  a  treaty  of  friendly  alliance  with  his  English 
neighbors. 

So  on  the  morrow  Governor  Carver,  accom 
panied  by  Winslow,  sturdy  Myles  Standish,  and 
others  of  his  principal  men,  met  Massasoit. 
Then,  after  much  feasting  and  an  exchange  of 
courtesies,  they  mutually  signed  a  treaty  of  friend- 


326  THE   BELT   OF   SEVEN   TOTEMS 

ship  that  remained  unbroken  for  upward  of  half 
a  century  from  that  memorable  date. 

Thus  was  the  crumb  of  bread  once  cast  upon 
troubled  waters  by  Edward  Winslow  returned  to 
him  again  with  a  thousand- fold  of  increase  after 
many  days. 

Thus  also  did  Nahma,  son  of  Longfeather,  now 
become  Massasoit,  wearer  of  the  Belt  of  Seven 
Totems,  make  possible  and  establish  forever  the 
white  man's  settlement  of  New  England. 

****** 

N.  B.  When  the  good  ship  Mayflower  re 
turned  to  England  from  that  her  most  memorable 
voyage  to  the  New  World  she  bore  in  her  cargo 
a  packet  of  richest  furs,  together  with  many 
specimens  of  dainty  beadwork,  consigned  to 
Lady  Betty  Effingham,  who  dwelt  near  to  Bristol, 
England,  with  goodly  wishes  from  her  friend  and 
humble  servant,  Massasoit. 


THE    END 


14  DAY  USE 

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LD  21A-15m-4,'63 
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